


The Pine Bluff Duality

by bewdofchaos



Series: Paranormality [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Federal Agents, Angst, Atem has made a big mistake, Banter, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I summon my blue eyes banter dragon, Inspired by The X-Files, Just an excuse to write these two dorks in a universe I love, M/M, Murder Mystery, Partnership, Puzzleshipping, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 65,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos
Summary: “Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it cannot exist.”Special Agent Atem Sennen was integral to the FBI cyber crimes division and was on the fast track to the top. However, a mysterious incident derailed his ascent. Now demoted to the department that deals with the odd and unexplained, he must work with the only other special agent that is even more of a departmental pariah than himself. Together, they have been tasked to solve a murder that is anything but ordinary.A couple of these chapters are my contributions to Puzzle June 2020!Chapter 12: Day 12 - MirrorChapter 14: Day 28 - Heaven
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi
Series: Paranormality [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819615
Comments: 322
Kudos: 129
Collections: PuzzleJune 2020





	1. Oh, how the mighty have fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue the X-files theme*  
> Warning: this story contains strong language, implied violence and the introduction of a murder mystery that will be central to the plot (minor off screen character death). No explicit gore.
> 
> Welcome to the Pine Bluff Duality! Upon realizing there are some correlates between Yu-Gi-Oh! and one of my other favourite shows of all time, I decided I wanted to marry the two and do my own take on it. This fic is influenced by the X-Files (with a bit of Twin Peaks tossed in for good measure), but with different character backstories and a murder mystery all of my own devising. You by no means have to be familiar with these shows to enjoy this fic, but if you like the sort of stuff you see in here, I’d +++ recommend you check the X-Files out!

A thick file snapped shut, the papers within threatening to burst under the pressure of the large hand placed firmly atop the manilla folder.

“You’ve really done a number for yourself, Special Agent Sennen.” A man with a voice like gravel chided from the other side of the table. “And this does not lie. You know this is grounds for dismissal, right?”

Special Agent Atem Sennen could feel his ears burning. In silence, he stared at his clenched fists as they rested on the mahogany conference table, his knuckles white beneath his caramel skin. He could barely breathe as guilt and fear reamed into him like a hot knife over and over. Once again, he started the cycle of self beratement that he had been slipping in and out of over the course of the hearing.

He had fucked up. Plain and simple. He could not blame this situation on naivety or coercion. When the opportunity had presented itself, he had made a choice. An impulsive one, but a choice nonetheless. At the time he knew he was playing with fire, but he had decided that some things in life were worth the risks. Overall, he did not regret what had transpired. He did, however, regret the outcome and the pain it had caused to the parties involved. Pain he was still suffering himself.

A grunt from across the table brought Atem back to the here and now, snapping his attention to the five men across from him.

“What have you to say in your defence?”

Atem ran a hand down his chest to smooth his navy silk tie as he readied his response.

“Sir, all I can do is reiterate how deeply sorry I am for my actions. I apologize once again to anyone I may have hurt in the process. I know he wants my head on a stake, and I don’t blame him. All I can ask is that you please reconsider... I know I can still be of value to the FBI. There must be some other way.” The once confident voice of one of the FBI’s most prolific closers had been reduced to a low murmur. In this moment, Atem hated who he had become. He was never one to grovel.

“You are correct. Your former boss wants you publicly flogged, but I must admit, I do not share in his vehemence.” The slate grey eyes regarded the young agent with curiosity. “You do bring up a good point, the FBI would lose some fine talent should we fire you.”

The man turned to convene with his colleagues. As words were uttered in indecipherable low tones, Atem was once again left to his own thoughts. Like a kite in a hurricane, he was at the mercy of the gusts and was holding on by a thread. 

“We have a proposition for you, Special Agent. You have two choices. One, put in your notice yourself and leave the FBI on your own terms. This way we can all part ways without further incident. Or two, you can remain here at the FBI, but will be put on probation and demoted for at least one year to a department of our choosing.”

Atem could not believe what he heard. _There is an option to stay? My career can be saved?_ Atem opened his mouth to accept the second offer but was promptly stopped by a raised hand.

“However, should you pick the second option, let it be known that your former boss could still decide to pursue this matter further up the ladder. This opportunity could still be taken away at a moment’s notice.”

Atem tensed. After knowing his former boss for several years, he knew just how tenacious Assistant Director Seto Kaiba could be and just how long he could hold a grudge. He ran a hand though his erratic hair, pushing his golden bangs out towards his crimson tips before they sprung back into place. This would not be easy, but there was really no choice in his eyes. He would have to swallow his pride in hopes for a brighter future. 

“I want to stay, sir. Assign me wherever you please.” Atem replied quietly.

“A wise choice, young man. You will report to Building 4B tomorrow morning. Basement floor, room 018. There you will meet your new commanding officer and will be assigned your tasks.”

“May I ask, who is my commanding officer?”

“That I will leave you to figure out.” The man grinned wolfishly. “I think an obstinate and frankly disruptive man such as yourself would greatly benefit from the… perspective your new commanding officer can provide.”

Atem felt a sense of dread build deep within his gut as a series of scenarios started to form in his mind. His imagination ran wild as he pictured himself relegated to being an errand boy beneath a sadistic and ruthless tyrant. Or perhaps he would drown in a sea of numbers as he was forced to manage all of the billings and reimbursements the field agents all while his new boss droned in his ear about the importance of ensuring timely payouts. He could not suppress the shiver that ran down his spine.

“This hearing has adjourned. Pack up your desk and report to your new posting at 0730 hours tomorrow, Special Agent Sennen.” The man announced, his tone final and his gaze even more so. Atem obliged and got up from his seat. After thanking the panel, he made his leave.

* * *

Back at his cubicle, Atem became acutely aware of the sudden atmosphere shift in the cyber crimes department upon his arrival. As he neatly placed his mug and custom computer mouse in a cardboard box, he could not help but notice the other agents peering at him from across the bullpen, their stares ranging from curious to disgusted. News of his disciplinary hearing and subsequent demotion had spread like wildfire through the department. The usually overly friendly receptionist would not make eye contact with him, offering only a single non-committal noise in response to his usual greeting. Unfortunately, the other agents in the department decidedly had more to say.

“What do you think he did? I bet you he was embezzling…” Atem remembered hearing one whisper to another as he did his walk of shame through the department.

“He was probably receiving bribes. Those expensive Italian leather boots he wears won’t pay for themselves.” Another sneered.

“Maybe its something more mundane? Like lying about his educational background?”

“Do you think he killed a guy?”

“But how would this bastard still have a job?”

“I hear the demotion he’s been given would make being a janitor look luxurious.”

“He must be a double agent working for the mob!”

Despite his best efforts to ignore the commentary, the cacophony of postulations and accusations quickly broke him down. His face hot with shame and chest tight, the crimson eyed agent quickly stuffed his remaining personal effects into his now overflowing cardboard box. He knew he needed out as soon as possible.

His task finally complete, Atem tossed on his black leather jacket and tried to make it out of the department with whatever dignity and decorum he had remaining. Keeping his posture straight and chin held high like how his father had taught him from a young age, he walked back across the bullpen. He willed his legs to remain steady as the door out of the department finally came into view. He almost made it out too, but his escape was momentarily delayed by one last metaphorical kick in the gonads.

Not five feet away stood Assistant Director Seto Kaiba, lazily bent over the front desk chatting with the now animated receptionist. Upon seeing the tricolour haired man come into view, Seto’s smirk morphed into an ugly sneer.

“Justice has been served, _Sennen._ ” Came the drawl from the towering man. His voice was laced with malice. “This will teach you never to fuck with me ever again. I always win. Get out of here, you bastard!”

Although the words cut deep, Atem did not even pause his stride to address the verbal assault coming from his former boss. Atem knew if he gave the man even an inch of rope, Seto Kaiba would find a way to tie a noose around his neck. Kaiba's power and influence were too much for him to counter. Instead, he continued to hold his head high and quietly made his way towards the door.

 _Finally._ The door closed with a click behind him and the harsh words and laughs were dampened. Atem let out the shaky breath he had been holding. The corners of his eyes stung. His so-called friends. His work. All gone in a blink of an eye. All because of one decision.

Nursing his shattered heart, Atem made his way to his car. He couldn’t stand to be in this place a moment longer.

* * *

The next morning, Atem crossed the lawn with his black leather messenger bag slung over his shoulder, making haste towards building 4B. The building seemed harmless enough from the outside. It was made from the same limestone and concrete that the other buildings in the complex were and towering several stories tall. Building 4B embodied the spirit of unremarkable. However nondescript this building was, Atem just knew that this place was going to become his own personal prison. 

_Just a year. One year. You will prove yourself to be an asset and they will have no choice but to promote you back on track to becoming director._ Atem reassured himself as he readjusted his bag.

Pulling open the double doors, Atem crossed the threshold and inspected the map on the wall in an effort to locate his new office.

“Room 018… Department of Unexplained Cases…” Atem read aloud to himself in confusion. Then a moment of recognition. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

With a shake of his head, Atem made his way towards the stairs. After a few wrong turns, Atem found himself face to face with a grey, dingy door that seemed to be a relic from the 1990s. Squaring his shoulders beneath his maroon checked shirt and straightening his black tie, Atem turned the doorknob and confidently stepped into the office.

Despite the dimmed lights, Atem could tell that just like the door, this office had not seen a renovation in several decades. The air was musty and the carpet was threadbare. Three full sized metal desks sporting chipped grey paint were crammed into a room not much larger than a janitor’s closet. Two desks appeared empty, while the one farthest from the door had numerous files strewn about in a haphazard manner. A single monitor and computer tower occupied the remainder of the desk space. Atem made a face. After working with the top of the line computers in the cyber crimes office for the last few years, this would take some getting used to.

Atem laid his bag down gently beside the middle desk and walked over towards the occupied one. Taking a breath, he looked around the monitor to meet his new commanding officer. To his disappointment, he was met only by an empty chair and the pale blue light of the locked computer screen. He let out a sigh and returned to the desk he had all but claimed as his own. The tattered office chair seemed to groan in protest as he lowered himself into it. There he waited to meet his new boss, his patience dwindling by the second.

After a couple minutes, Atem let out a groan of his own and sprung up. Be damned if he was going to sit around and do nothing while he waited for his tardy commanding officer. He might as well explore and grab a cup of coffee. A man on a mission, he swept towards the door and yanked it open. He heard a small yelp as his body collided with another. Steaming liquid from a mug fell towards the ground. Atem’s eyes took in a pair of worn brown leather boots, now splattered in café au lait. He quickly scanned up the navy chinos and pale grey button-down shirt to a face that made him take pause. A set of amethyst eyes blinked in surprise, obscured slightly by long golden bangs set within a mess of violet tipped spiked black hair.

“Oh, I, er…” Atem stammered, his startled eyes flitting back down to the coffee covered shoes.

“Oh, it’s no trouble. These shoes have seen worse.” Came the light reply. “Who are you? And what are you doing in my office?”

 _‘My office’? Oh shit._ Quickly realizing what was transpiring, Atem fumbled for his badge and held it to the coffee covered man in front of him. “I have been assigned to this department.” Atem replied quickly, his voice a bit more sheepish than he would have liked.

“Special Agent Atem Sennen… oh yes. I received that email last night. I must admit, I thought you wouldn’t be here until _next_ Tuesday.” Amethyst eyes were back on him and Atem found himself feeling strangely intimidated, which was a very rare occurrence for the confident agent. He had never seen eyes quite that colour before.

“I’m, uh, supposed to start today. Reporting for duty, sir.” Atem found himself quickly reverting to formal speak as he scolded himself internally for making such a poor first impression on his new commanding officer. He awaited the wrath of his new boss but it never came. Instead, he heard a light chuckle.

“Oh, there’s no need to call me ‘sir’. Yes, I may be your new boss, but in this department, there’s no real hierarchy. I’d like us to be on the same page and work like partners, if you will.” The man offered his free hand. “I’m Supervisory Special Agent Yugi Muto. Please call me Yugi.”

“SSA Yugi Muto? As in Yugi ‘Magical’ Muto?” Atem asked without thinking twice. His stomach dropped as he watched as his new boss’ demeanour shift. Strike two.

“I really wish people would stop calling me that. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it cannot exist.” Came the cool reply as the man walked into the office, his shoulder clipping Atem’s lightly on his way by.

“Ah, sorry, sir. I only meant it as a question. I did not mean to offend.” Atem backpedaled verbally as he physically retreated into the dim office. His ears were starting to burn in embarrassment. “I just…”

His explanation trailed off as watched Supervisory Special Agent Yugi Muto move to lean against the edge of his desk. The other agent crossed his arms, eyes quietly sizing up his new employee. Under the man’s scrutinous gaze, Atem internally remarked that they bore a striking resemblance to each other, right down to their short stature. The other agent was only a hair shorter than Atem’s 5’3”. There were a few noticeable differences, though. His skin was pale, he styled his hair somewhat differently and his features had more gentle curves in contrast to his own angular lines. Although he had to admit, the stern stare and furrowed brow SSA Muto currently wore could easily rival his own. Also, although this agent was technically his boss, he could not have been any older than Atem’s thirty two years of age.

“It’s ok, I don’t think you meant any harm by it. That nickname just touches a nerve, that’s all.” Yugi seemed to soften slightly as he motioned for Atem to sit. He silently obliged.

“Welcome to the Department of Unexplained Cases. Or what I affectionately refer to as the 'shadow realm'.” Yugi said with a wave of his hand to the darkness around them. “What have you heard about this department?”

Atem took a moment to choose his words carefully, as he was now acutely aware of how he had seemed to botch every interaction he had with the SSA so far. This department was notorious around the FBI. Run by a skeleton crew at best, it received cases from around the country that could not be explained by conventional means. Strange murders, impossible break and enters, cranks going on about aliens stealing their sheep. It was often the butt of the joke whenever it would come up in conversation, as the people who worked in this department were often regarded as being just as strange as the cases they received.

“Strange and unusual cases come by this desk. Cases that cannot be explained by… conventional means.” Atem said slowly, keeping his deep voice neutral. “And this department is tasked at solving them.”

“In a nutshell, yes. Now, what have you heard about me?”

Case in point: Yugi Muto. Plenty of stories had reached Atem about the agent in question. Rumour has it that this former prodigy in a popular game called Duel Monsters was poised for greatness until he had some sort of a mental breakdown while attending Princeton for his undergraduate degree. He apparently took a leave of absence from studying computer science and became a recluse for some time. He later resurfaced, graduated and turned down multiple Silicon Valley offers in favour of pursuing FBI training. No one knew the details of this breakdown, but some of the agents who Atem had worked with would jest that it must have been aliens or witches. Then they would have a good laugh at the expense of the eccentric agent who worked in a basement alone somewhere. A few other agents had rotated though this department over the five years SSA Muto had been at its head, all of them leaving for one reason or another. Atem had never heard why.

“Other than your nickname, not too much else. I know that you are the only other agent employed by this department and you have been here now for several years.”

Yugi seemed dissatisfied with his basic and evasive answer, but to Atem’s relief, he did not press the matter further. “Correct again. Now tell me Atem, what are your thoughts on the paranormal?”

 _He doesn’t waste much time._ Atem had been waiting for this line of questioning ever since realizing what department he had been assigned to. However, he had not expected to be asked so soon and so forwardly.

“Aliens? Magic? The Loch Ness Monster? I don’t believe they exist.” Atem replied. “But for argument’s sake, let’s say they did. Wouldn’t we have widely distributed concrete proof by now?”

“What if we did, but no one chooses to believe it?”

Atem could not help but grimace at the counter. “If the evidence was truly concrete, no one would dispute it.”

Yugi smiled ever so slightly as he tilted his head back in contemplation. “Have you ever thought about discoveries in the past? In science. Mathematics. Medicine. For every single new technology or hypothesis that came to be, there was dozens of naysayers. People would dispute that such a thing could exist or happen.” A thoughtful pause. Atem waited for the man in front of him to finish.

“Why can’t it be the same with these things you just mentioned? Just because they are beyond our current understanding doesn’t make them inherently false.” Yugi’s eyes drifted back down and bore into Atem. They seemed to issue a challenge, and Atem never backed down from one.

“But it doesn’t make them inherently true either. Until I see evidence for myself, I cannot in good conscience believe.” Atem responded, his own crimson eyes steadfast and rising to the challenge. After a moment, the agent in front of him seemed to relax, the small smile Atem had witnessed in the doorway reappearing.

“You’ll do nicely. Welcome aboard, Atem.”

“Thank you, sir. Er, I mean, Yugi.”

Yugi reached back, fishing out a file from the messy pile on his desk. “You arrived here at just the right time. We have been called out to the field to investigate this case. We leave tomorrow bright and early for the small town of Canton, NC.”

Atem accepted the manilla folder and started flipping through it. There were several full-size photos depicting a crime scene in a wooded area. Although Atem had seen many photos of crime scenes with many of them being more grotesque than this, there was something about these images that sent a chill down his spine. The male body looked as if it had been haphazardly tossed in a semi prone manner, dark hair wildly strewn about. The foliage around the body was charred and scorched in a perfect circle, while the alabaster skin of the body remained pure white in stark contrast. Not a single burn could be seen on his skin.

“It says here that this is not the first body to be found like this out in the North Carolina woods.” Atem read out loud to no one in particular. “How strange. How do we know this is not just staged? Like the calling card of some sick serial killer?”

Yugi lightly pushed himself off his desk and circled to peer over Atem’s shoulder. He brought Atem’s attention to a particular paragraph.

“Just like the four cases before it, there were no signs of the body being moved prior to the forensic techs’ arrival.”

“But common things being common, maybe the perpetrator is just very meticulous?”

“The scorched earth’s in a perfect circle. The techs also said that the fire must have been very hot, at least 2500 F, to cause that sort of damage. Have any bright ideas as to how that could be explained?”

“Carefully placed accelerant? Then prompt extinguishing?” Atem offered, brow furrowing in thought.

Yugi snorted. “Grasping at straws already?” He teased. “Alright, skeptical Sennen, keep pouring over that file and familiarize yourself with it. I’m going to go replace the coffee that you knocked all over my shoes.”

Atem felt a pang of embarrassment. As he prepared to apologize once again, the words promptly died on his tongue when he saw his new partner’s mirthful smirk. He was making fun of him! 

“Oh, is this how its going to be?” Atem responded with a chuckle. “Two can play at that game.”

“That coffee’s being deducted out of your paycheque, by the way.” Yugi jabbed as he made his way towards the door, mug in hand. “You should know that this is a game you can’t win, Sennen.”

“Try me, Muto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My Tumblr](https://atems-leather-pants.tumblr.com)


	2. Into the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Acquaintances, answers and accommodations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is some discussion of implied violence and the medical complications of such in this chapter (should be the last time in the story...). Nothing expressly gory, but just in case you’re adverse, I thought I’d forewarn you.
> 
> Also, Canton in this story, although it’s technically a real town, is 100% characterized by me and is not meant to be an accurate portrayal of said town. Just putting that out there just in case one of you readers is from the area, because I sure am not! Haha

Atem rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he waited curbside outside building 4B. His boss, or rather new partner, had insisted they make the eight-hour drive to Canton, NC in his own car. Atem checked his watch. 7:25 am. He would be here in the next few minutes.

He started to pace, giving his duffle bag a gentle nudge with his boot every time he walked by. It had been years since Atem had been sent on a field mission. His previous work in cyber crimes could almost exclusively be done remotely and he was never involved in the actual arrests. However foreign his new workflow may be, Atem was more preoccupied with the company he was going to keep. How it would be on the road with someone who he just met yesterday? Hopefully ‘Magical’ Muto’s taste in music did not stray too far into the realm of the weird like his work did.

However, Atem did not have too much time to ponder his musical fate as a horn sounded behind him, breaking him out from his thoughts.

“Ready to go?” A cheery voice called from inside the black Honda Civic.

Atem leaned over to peer through the open passenger window at the car’s driver. He took a quick read of the situation, and decided to take a risk. “Are you really insisting we drive eight hours in this?” Atem jabbed lightly.

“I will have you know this is the sports package. The ride’s as smooth as butter!” came the retort. Although Yugi’s nose was crinkled in indignation, Atem could tell his joke had landed correctly.

With a chuckle, he tossed his duffle bag in the back seat and sat down passenger side. With a bit of flair, he brandished one of the two coffees he had picked up earlier as an offering to the other man.

“My atonement for yesterday.” Atem explained as Yugi accepted the drink.

“All is forgiven.” Yugi responded sagely, taking a tentative sip. “Hmmm, you remembered I like milk. Detail oriented. That will go in your performance review.”

Atem shook his head in response and soon they were off.

The hours passed and the two men filled their time with intermittent small talk. Around hour four, Atem found himself in silence, alone amongst his thoughts once again. His new partner was nothing like he had expected. The rumours of the strange, antisocial basement recluse which had been propagated through the other departments seemed to be unfounded. From his short time spent with the agent, Atem could see that Yugi Muto was clearly intelligent, easy going and good-natured. This welcome yet surprising revelation begged the question of how did this guy become so ostracized in the first place?

“Atem?”

Atem tore his eyes off the trees rhythmically passing by to glance over at his new partner. Despite his inquiry, Yugi’s attention remained squarely on the road. His fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel along to the song on the radio.

“Yes?”

“I read your file. You’ve done some impressive work.” Yugi remarked casually.

“Uh, thanks.”

“But I’ve got to ask, how does a promising agent such as yourself get assigned to one of the lowliest departments in the FBI?” Yugi’s inquisitive gaze briefly met his own.

Atem went stiff in his seat, crossing his arms tight against his chest. There it is. The question he dreaded. For now, the details of the incident were under wraps and absent from employee files as a component of the incident was still under investigation. He often worried about the day when these details got out of the confines of the board disciplinary hearing and became common knowledge. Even though his new partner seemed reasonable, he was still wary of divulging this information so early on in their partnership.

“It’s a long and complicated situation that I’d rather not get into at this time.” Atem responded diplomatically.

He was met briefly with silence. If his partner was displeased at his noncommittal and vague answer, he did not show it. Instead, the violet eyed man just nodded and responded in kind. “Alright.”

Silence once again hung for several moments. The singer on the radio now crooned along to a sad melodic tune. Despite this, Yugi’s fingers continued to drum on the steering wheel at a fervid pace. Eventually, his nervous tension broke. 

“I’m sorry if that was too personal of a question.” Yugi finally blurted, clearly unsettled by the silence. “I was just curious, that’s all.” Atem’s somewhat defensive demeanor softened upon seeing the mildly anxious display.

“No problem. It is just a bit… difficult for me to talk about. I’m sure you understand.” Atem responded reassuringly.

“Of course.”

The rest of their ride passed by uneventfully. By the end of the eight hours and the quick diner dinner to follow, Atem realized that he had several things in common with SSA Muto. For example, their shared love of games. Atem was delighted to hear his new partner recall his brief but bright professional Duel Monsters career in high school, a game that Atem was quite fond of himself and used to play a bit back in the day.

“I still have no idea how I won that one. You should have seen it. Well, maybe you still can. I’m sure the video is online somewhere.” Yugi finished as they pulled into the parking lot of the motel they would be staying at for the next couple of days at least.

The Pine Bluff Motel was small and rustic, with its exterior made out to look like a log cabin. Walking up the steps, Atem recalled his few trips as a young field agent and hoped that this motel would not be as dilapidated as some of the ones he stayed at in the past.

Yugi approached the front desk and gave the reservation info. He grabbed the solitary key from the clerk.

“Good old government accommodations.” Yugi grumbled tossing the key to Atem. “Never willing to fork out the extra money for separate rooms unless the agents are of opposite genders. I hope you don’t snore too loudly.”

 _Oh._ He had forgotten about that. Covering his mild surprise with a light chuckle, Atem followed Yugi down the corridor towards room 102. After a few tries of the key in the sticky lock, Atem finally got the door open.

The room was furnished in a basic manner. An old cathode ray TV sat on a worn wooden stand. There were two double beds, both of which seemed mercifully clean. Worn brown curtains were drawn over the large windows facing off towards the street. A flurry of movement alerted Atem to Yugi tossing his bag onto one of the beds to claim it as his own.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower. Don’t let me hold you up if you’ve got something you need to do. Oh, and if you find the WiFi password, please share!” Yugi said with an amicable smile before making his way to the bathroom.

“Alright.”

Atem fished out a paperback novel from his bag, took off his boots and reclined on his bed. He did not get very far into his chapter. After only a few pages, the toll of the day caught up to him rather swiftly and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, the two agents finally got down to business. Yugi’s delight was as plain as day when he reported that Atem did not snore. Atem, on the other hand, kept quiet as he did not have the heart to tell his partner that his own breathing occasionally mimicked a chainsaw throughout the night.

Walking up to the local sheriff’s office with to-go coffees from the diner in hand, Yugi discussed his preferred plan of attack with Atem.

“After we finish discussing details with the sheriff, we will need to make our way towards the crime scene.”

“Seems reasonable to me.”

They walked in through the front door and were greeted by the boisterous front desk receptionist. After having to tactfully pry themselves from her endless stream of recommendations of what to do around town, Atem finally convinced her to go get the sheriff from their office.

A few moments later, the receptionist was followed into the anteroom by another woman. She was clad in a full khaki uniform beneath a forest green jacket. A brimmed hat sat atop her bobbed brown hair. Although her figure was slim, her presence seemed to fill the room. She reached out and clasped each man’s hand firmly.

“You must be Agents Muto and Sennen. Welcome to the beautiful town of Canton!” the Sheriff greeted. “I hope your trip out here was pleasant.”

“Can’t complain, ma’am.” Yugi responded with a genial smile.

“Oh please, I’m not old enough to be a ‘ma’am’ yet! Please call me Tea.”

“Nice to meet you, Tea.” Atem greeted. The sheriff’s eyes shifted onto him and seemed to linger a second longer than they did on his counterpart. Atem swallowed. When their gaze was broken, Atem could see Yugi raise a subtle eyebrow in his direction, a sly smile starting on his face.

“As much as I’d like to have a social visit, I suppose you two want to get down to business and talk shop?” Sheriff Tea asked. The two agents nodded in unison.

“Alright. Our victim is one of our hometown local boys. His name is… was Duke Devlin. 29 years old. He had a bit of a rough adolescence but turned his life around in the last few years. He worked at the hardware store one town over. Really nice guy overall.” Sheriff Tea Gardner said solemnly, obviously pretty shaken up by the town’s sudden loss.

“When was he found and by whom?” Yugi asked.

“He was found by his best friend, Tristan Taylor. Taylor was out for his usual morning run through the woods at approximately 0630 hours and stumbled across the body. Literally stumbled across it. The poor guy.”

“Did he otherwise interact with the crime scene? Other than the, er, stumbling.”

“No. He claims to have kept his hands to himself and called it in immediately.”

“You said that they were best friends. Any evidence of strife in that friendship?”

“No, apparently they were fine. Duke even attended Tristan’s bachelor party last weekend. I saw them having a good time at the local bar myself.”

After receiving a list of phone numbers of Duke Devlin’s friends, family and known associates from the friendly sheriff, they set off to continue their information gathering. First order of business: inspect the crime scene themselves.

They traced their steps back towards the Pine Bluff Motel and after leaving Yugi’s car in the parking lot, they made the three-minute walk from there to the crime scene. Once they reached the spot where the body had been found, the two agents started working in tandem to inspect the scene for anything the forensic techs might have left behind.

About ten minutes into their search, Yugi called out to Atem. He had found something. They squatted down in the brush and inspected the odd item found nestled in the damp foliage.

“Chain links?” Atem inquired from behind a digital camera.

“Fractured and scorched iron chain links.” Yugi elaborated, picking up one link delicately with a gloved hand. “No rust. Looks like it was recently left here.”

“Probably part of a hunters' kit. Or perhaps from a camp stove.” Atem shrugged.

“Or it could be relevant to our case.” Yugi responded, eyes not leaving his find.

Atem hummed his trepidation while holding out an evidence bag. “We will see.”

The remainder of the crime scene was unremarkable. The techs had done a good job. Reassured that there was nothing of value remaining to be found, the two men packed up their kits and moved onto their next task.

* * *

The agents found their way to the coroner’s office in nearby Ashville, NC. The autopsy report was supposed to be released tomorrow, but they thought they would try to get a preliminary report from the coroner. Also, having a conversation with the doctor often shed light on the situation that reading a static report often could not provide.

“So this is a really weird one…” The bespeckled, vaguely anemic looking female doctor started, tucking her brown hair behind her ear almost nervously.

Atem shifted impatiently in his seat. He never liked coroner’s offices. They were too messy. Too cold. Despite being in the small, relatively clean office of Dr. Taylor far away from the refrigerator units, he could still feel the ominous chill of the air conditioning through his coat.

“You’d think that with those marks around his neck that the cause of death would be asphyxiation…” The doctor pondered. “But there was no additional evidence to suggest asphyxiation via strangulation. No retinal hemorrhage, no lactic acidosis. The hyoid was intact, which as you agents probably already know, is generally broken if there was enough force around the neck to cause asphyxiation. The carotid arteries were intact and patent, which is also generally inconsistent with strangulation.”

“Very interesting.” Yugi murmured. “Did you find a cause of death?”

The doctor shrugged her slight shoulders with a sigh. “Yes, but I don’t now what to make of it.”

“Please continue.” Yugi prompted, eyes curious.

“The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the chest… his sternum is shattered, as are his adjacent third through seventh ribs bilaterally. There is a massive pericardial effusion and a traumatic ascending aortic dissection. But what puzzles me is that there are no other injuries anywhere to account for this trauma. No tell-tale bruise of an object impacting the anterior thorax. No additional injuries to suggest a fall or the victim being hit by a vehicle. No seatbelt sign to suggest a car accident…” The doctor’s brow furrowed in thought.

The doctor rambled on, further descending into technical speak that Atem did not care to try to interpret. His attention deviated from the verbalized list of what _did not_ cause their victim’s death onto the animated face of his partner. He appeared engrossed and inquisitive. Yugi tilted his head upon registering Atem’s stare. A double eyebrow raise above amused violet eyes easily conveyed the unspoken friendly challenge of ‘try to rationalize this’.

“Excuse me, doctor, so the cause of death is blunt force trauma to the chest via an unknown mechanism?” Atem summarized succinctly. The frigid and disturbing atmosphere of this place had now fully permeated through his clothing and was starting to get under his skin. It was time to wrap things up.

“Yes…”

“And you think this is a homicide?”

“Yes, from the way he was set up and the type of injuries—”

“Anything else of interest that may be helpful to our investigation?”

“N-nothing that I can think of right now. I am going to run my findings by another pathologist because—”

“Well, if you think of anything else, please give us a call.” Atem stood quickly, offering a business card. A quick goodbye was said simultaneously as an insistent motion was aimed towards his partner. With a small sigh, Yugi begrudgingly stood and followed his lead out of the room.

Atem’s skin did not stop crawling until he saw the sunshine once again.

* * *

Despite his earlier squeamishness, Atem found himself partially buried under wrappers and brown paper bags in their motel room that evening as they finished up their fast food dinner and discussed their next steps.

“Tomorrow we need to interview the vic’s friends and family. I don’t know, something seems a bit off about all of this. I’m unsure if Duke Devlin had really turned his life around and became as clean as the sheriff thinks him to be.” Atem mused, sitting astraddle on the room’s sole wooden chair, his chin resting on the back.

Yugi hummed an absentminded affirmative from his perch at the foot of his claimed bed. Throughout Atem’s brainstorming, Yugi had been relatively introspective. “Yeah that’s important, but what I can’t get my head around is the mark on the vic’s neck.”

“It looked like ligature marks to me.” Atem countered. “Nothing much more of interest there.”

Yugi groaned and fished out the crime scene picture. Brandishing it in front of him for Atem to see as if it were a trump card about to end a duel, Yugi crossed the floor.

“It looks more like a… brand to me. See how the skin has blistered here? Normal ligature marks do not do that. That, and the coroner said that asphyxia was not the cause of death.”

Atem sighed, taking the photo from his excitable partner to inspect it for the tenth time today. “I don’t know…”

“Also, see how the lines are so perfect and even in their depth? This wouldn’t happen from ligature marks.” Yugi poked at the photo as if to prove his point. “Plus, I’ve seen this before.”

Atem’s undivided attention was now on Yugi. “You really should have opened with that.”

“I wanted to hear what you came up with. Let you have an unbiased stab at it.” Yugi shrugged. “It was a couple years back. I was out in a different part of North Carolina investigating a couple of strange killings. The murderer was never found, but I suspected that there must be something beyond our comprehension at play.”

“Why was that?”

“It was all just too clean. Too perfect. The markings on the bodies were identical to our victim’s… as if they were made by a machine, not a human. Same with the circular burn marks on the ground around the bodies. They all had the exact same diameter, you know?”

Atem raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Really.” Yugi confirmed with a small sigh. Atem watched as Yugi seemed to be pulled into his own thoughts, eyes clouding over. While he waited for his new partner to return to reality, he got off the chair to collect the wrappers from their long-completed dinner.

“Last time I was at a loss. Maybe this time I can finally get to the bottom of it.” Atem caught Yugi mumbling under his breath.

 _‘Maybe this time’._ The words made Atem take pause. He watched as the shorter man seemed to withdraw further, his eyes murky and distant. He had seen that look before. Worn that look before…

“This case has become personal to you.” Atem observed, his voice low and gentle.

“No. No, not really. I just want to solve it this time. For the victims and their families.”

 _Is that it?_ Something about Yugi’s answer, which was clearly offered as a reassurance did the exact opposite. Atem could not shrug off the feeling that he had just been expertly sold a story. More silence hung as Atem debated the merits of probing deeper, but his mind was made up for him when Yugi spoke again.

“I’m going to get some air. Don’t wait up.” Yugi hopped off the bed and flashed a smile which pulled at his lips but left his eyes untouched.

“Alright.” Atem felt vaguely unsettled, but once again, thought it for the best if he did not pry. They had only just met yesterday and he did not want come across as overbearing. Although, the curiosity might kill him. “If you ever need to uh, talk, feel free.” Atem added somewhat awkwardly, internally cursing at his lameness.

“Thanks for the offer, Atem.” Yugi replied genially as he tossed on his coat and made for the door. The sound of the door closing behind his new partner opened a myriad of questions in his mind. As he sat down on his own bed, one series of questions rang louder in his mind than the others.

_Is he hiding something? And if so, why?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always love hearing what you think, so good, bad or otherwise, comments are always appreciated! And before you ask me about the accuracy of the accommodations in this chapter, just know I never found anything saying that the government -wouldn’t- cheap out on hotel rooms and make agents of the same gender share rooms *shrugs*. It may be an HR nightmare, but I found it more fun to write this way so....


	3. Snakes and ladders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Details, deltoids, and disquiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! A big thank you to everyone who has left a comment so far! I’ve loved chatting with you. Over the next few chapters, the players involved in the mystery will be introduced, and I'm excited to hear your predictions! This case is sure to leave the puzzle boys... puzzled. Hah.

The two agents started their work bright and early the next day with a visit to the Sheriff’s Office. However, this efficiency did not carry easily onto their next task. There were several people of interest that needed to be interviewed, and the more time that passed idly by, the more Atem grew restless. Yugi’s apparent inability to extract himself from the talkative Sheriff did not help with his impatience.

“Here’s the list of addresses of the people you may want to start with.” Sheriff Gardner finally concluded after being tactfully redirected by Atem a few moments prior, handing the agents a slim folder. “Not too many people live all the way out here, so there are only a few of them.”

“Thank you for your help.” Yugi responded. He was already scanning the first page of the dossier with earnest.

“You’re welcome, Special Agents. And if you need any help with anything – anything at all – just ask!” She offered with a brilliant and almost expectant smile directed right at Atem.

_Oh._

“W-we appreciate it.” Atem said back somewhat woodenly, straining to maintain composure against developing befuddlement. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure how to proceed under the gaze of the Sheriff. However, he did not have long to consider his options. Quickly, his attention was diverted off the woman and onto a hand placed firmly on his shoulder.

“Yes, we do.” Yugi agreed with an odd, almost mischievous look directed at Atem. “Oh! I see you’ve been hitting the gym there, partner. Your hard work is paying off _nicely_.”

Atem sucked in a breath as all hope of maintaining his composure went out the window. Thank the gods for his darker skin tone or else his face would have been cherry red. He turned to shoot a mortified look of protest at Yugi just in time to catch the little wink Yugi had shot the Sheriff.

“Let’s go. It’s going to be a busy day and we really should get started.” Yugi prompted his practically paralyzed partner.

Yugi gave Atem’s deltoid a final squeeze for good measure, thanked the Sheriff, and all but dragged his partner outside.

“What… what were you doing in there?” Although still a bit bewildered, the cool morning air seemed to snap Atem back to reality enough to form words again.

Yugi bit back a laugh. “So, you’re telling me you did not notice how into you she is?”

“I noticed that.” Atem rolled his eyes. “But why the… shoulder?”

“I thought you could use a wing man! You’re welcome, by the way.” Yugi’s accompanying smile was warm and amused.

Atem swallowed and laughed a little uneasily. Although Yugi’s was a kind gesture, the sheriff was not his type. But it was much too early in the morning to discuss this sort of thing.

* * *

The black civic pulled up curb side at 33 Twinleaf Street, and two tricolour haired heads turned in unison to inspect the house of their first interviewee.

Tristan Taylor, age 30. Childhood best friend of the victim. The sheriff’s file stated that he worked at the local hardware store. He had lived the vast majority of his life in Canton except for a short stint at a community college in Raleigh. He had gone for a mechanics certificate but had not finished his training as his mother had fallen ill and he returned home to help.

Atem rapped on the metallic frame of the outer door. A few moments later, a lanky man answered, his eyes squinting slightly as they met daylight. He was disheveled and unshaven but the bags hanging from beneath his eyes were his most striking feature.

“Uh, hello. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not going to buy whatever you’re selling.” The man muttered as he rubbed the side of his stubbled face. He moved to close the door.

“Sorry to intrude, but I’m FBI Special Agent Muto.” Yugi fished out his badge from the breast pocket of his long navy wool overcoat. “And this is my partner, Special Agent Sennen. We would like to ask you some questions about your friend, Duke Devlin.”

Tristan made a pained face as he wordlessly beckoned the two agents into his home.

“Sorry about the mess, it’s been a rough couple of days.”

 _Very rough_. Atem remarked to himself, seeing the food wrappers and beer bottles that littered the small living room floor. The TV was on but muted, flashes of blue and green from the screen intermittently illuminating the adjacent wall. A nature documentary had been left to run wild. The tan couch bore stains reminiscent of meals passed. Tristan flopped down unceremoniously on the far end of the couch. Yugi took up residence on the other end while Atem commandeered a chair from the equally unkempt kitchen.

Yugi took the lead. “I know this is difficult and that you’ve already given the Sheriff’s Department your statement, but it would help us immensely if you could walk us through the morning when you found your friend.”

Tristan let out a puff of air and gave his head a little shake. “If it’s necessary.” Prompted to continue by a gentle, kind nod from Yugi, Tristan started his recounting.

“Well, I was out for my usual morning run. I left my place at around 6:15 am. It was my usual route. About two thirds of the way through it, I rounded a corner and nearly tripped on something. I thought it was a dead animal at first, but…” his voice trailed off.

“I’m very sorry you had to endure that.” Atem said quietly. “What did you do next?”

“I… I freaked out. Nearly had a panic attack. I knew he was dead just by looking at him. His eyes, man. His eyes. Thankfully there was cell service so I called the cops.”

“Did you touch the body at all?”

“No. I probably would have puked all over it if I had.” Tristan seemed to fold in on himself, clutching his sides.

The gentle questioning continued as Yugi and Atem teased out the details of Tristan and Duke’s friendship. The story was very similar to what the sheriff’s paperwork had illustrated.

“Did you guys ever fight?” Yugi asked.

“Fight? As teens, yeah, but not much in the last few years. The dude had mellowed out quite a bit and it helped when I started seeing Serenity. We no longer fought over girls.” Tristan chuckled without humour.

“Did he steal your girlfriends often in past?” Atem kept his tone light but knew from experience that strategically poking at old wounds could start to unveil the truth.

“Ah well, only the once. But that was ages ago. Water under the bridge.” Tristan said dismissively before a look of realization took a hold. “Wait… you don’t think I killed him?”

“We are just asking the questions we need to ask.” Yugi relayed evenly.

“Because I couldn’t have. He was my best friend! A-and I have an alibi!” Tristan’s voice jumped an octave as his alarm mounted. Atem took a mental note.

“We weren’t accusing you of anything. Just asking routine questions.” Atem reiterated. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, where were you on the night of Wednesday the 24th?”

“With my fiancée. We are moving in together shortly, but right now, she still lives one town over. I was with her at her place all night.”

The rest of the conversation was uneventful once Tristan was sufficiently reassured that he was not going to be arrested right there on the spot. He seemed like a tame enough man to Atem, but he knew better than to dismiss someone right from the start of a case. Decisions require evidence which requires legwork.

The two agents were wrapping up their interview and preparing to take their leave when their subject piped up one last time.

“Oh, I remember something. You were asking about if he has recently done anything out of the ordinary. Well, he started talking again to the twins.”

“The twins?” Yugi and Atem said in unison.

“Yeah, Ryou and Marik. I’m still friends with Ryou, but I know Duke a falling out with both of them a while back. But I saw them grabbing a bite at Mary’s Diner just last week. Sorry it slipped my mind.”

Atem nodded his thanks as he got out of his chair. “Your cooperation is appreciated. Have a good day.”

Back in Yugi’s car, they hunched over the dossier, and pulled out the sheets on ‘the twins’.

“Ryou Bakura and Marik Ishtar. Both 30. Says here that although they are called ‘the twins’, they aren’t actually blood relatives.” Yugi mused as he flipped through the dossier. Thankfully, these two men were already on the sheriff’s radar and she had assembled some basic information for the agents to peruse.

“Why have that moniker then?”

“Apparently they are inseparable. And partners in crime. Look at this.”

Atem leaned a bit closer as Yugi drew his attention to two mugshots. The first depicted a teen with a shock of white hair and skin of almost the same hue. He looked like he had just been in a fight. One eye was blackened, and bright red scratches adorned his cheek. The next mugshot was that of a defiant looking teen, sneering under a tussle of straw-coloured hair. His skin was toned and tattoos peeked out from beneath the collar of his grubby T-shirt. The next half dozen images were mugshots of the latter in various stages of disarray and disorder.

“White hair is Bakura. The other is Ishtar.” Yugi explained. “They both seem to be… aquatinted with the law, Ishtar more than Bakura.”

“So it seems.” Atem murmured thoughtfully in response. “What were the arrests for?”

Yugi hummed as he scanned the block of text outlining the past arrests. “B&E, battery, assault, theft. No murder for either, though.”

“Still, a sheet like that definitely raises some flags.”

“You can say that again. Apparently Bakura’s turned his life around. No arrests since the one at age 17. Ishtar, however, has a rap sheet dating back to this time last year.”

“What do you say we pay them a visit?”

“You’ve read by mind, partner.” Yugi’s eyes twinkled with excitement. Atem could not help but return the smile.

* * *

“This is it.” Atem announced, closing the map app on his phone and looking out the passenger side window expectantly.

“Right or left?”

“Definitely the left.”

Ishtar’s residence was nearby, so they had decided to go there first. Their hunt led them to a dilapidated duplex in the south end of the town. The lawn was sparse and the bushes near bare. Clay shards from broken pots littered the concrete steps leading up to 67A Pewter Ave. Dingy curtains were drawn tight over the front facing windows.

Atem knocked on the door. And again. And again. No response. After several minutes of trying, they left to go try the tamer of the two ‘twins’.

Bakura’s small two level apartment block was much better kept. The red brick structure seemed sturdy and intact. After finding the last person of interest’s place empty, Atem could not help but notice his purple haired counterpart’s delight when there was an answer at the door of apartment 2C.

“Hello. Do I know you?”

The agents introduced themselves and were amicably ushered in by the slight, white-haired man.

“Can I offer you some tea?” their host asked in a delicate British accent as he led the agents into the living room. The two agents politely declined.

“We are here investigating a murder that took place recently. The man’s name was Duke Devlin. We were told that you know him.” Yugi started.

“Oh n-no…. Duke?” Came the shocked stammer. Somehow the man’s nearly albino skin became even more pale. “M-murdered?”

“Unfortunately, yes. What was your relationship like with him?” Atem took over.

“We, uh, go back I suppose. He was one of the first friends I made when I moved here at age twelve. He helped pry a bully off of me, and we were close ever since.”

“Was he having any sort of trouble recently?”

“No. Not that I know of. He had his rough patches in his teens and early twenties, but he pulled his life around.” Bakura mumbled, his eyes fixated on a patch of beige carpet just beyond his feet.

“How so?”

“He got involved with a gang when he left for the big city. He didn’t talk much about his time there, but when he returned, he was never the same. He became skittish and cagey.”

“Did he ever mention why?”

“No.”

“Uh-huh. Was he ever into substances? Alcohol or drugs?” Yugi took command, latching onto a thread Atem had pried loose in the hopes of unravelling some sort of lead.

“I wondered that myself. But I never found anything to suggest that. I never even saw him touch a beer since coming back.”

“Did anyone ever come to visit him from the ‘big city’?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. About six months ago. I saw him and a man I’ve never seen before at the diner. Duke told me later on that it was his father. He had never mentioned his father before. I didn’t even know he was in the picture.”

“Speaking of fathers, was Duke close to his family?”

“No. He was in a foster care as a child. He bounced around to different houses every year or so until he was 18.”

Atem’s eyes narrowed slightly. _If Duke’s father was alive, why was he in foster care?_ As much as Atem wanted to dig deeper into this lead right now, he knew that Ryou Bakura was not the right person to answer his questions. Atem placed this line of thinking off to the side to return to later and went down another path. “Tell me a little about yourself, Ryou.”

Startled at the sudden change of topic, Bakura involuntarily straightened in his seat. “Uh, sure. What would you like to know?”

“Maybe a bit about your adolescence? What did you get up to?” Atem continued, keeping his tone mild and non-judgmental.

“What do you mean? I got up to usual high school stuff.” Bakura looked confused.

“You never got into any trouble?” Atem pressed harder.

“The usual teenaged stuff.” A nervous vaguely dismissive chuckle.

“Such as?” Hard.

Bakura became visibly tense. 

“So, you never robbed a corner store with your best friend?”

Too hard.

Ryou Bakura’s body language noticeably shifted. The white-haired man leaned forward, and when he spoke, his voice was as calm as the eye of a hurricane except for a thinly veiled undercurrent of defiance. “We all make poor choices in our youth. I’m sure you were not exempt of this, Agent Sennen?”

It was almost intimidating. Atem tried to keep his face neutral, but the scene in front of him set his teeth on edge. Something had happened to the docile man in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his partner’s attention shift from Bakura to himself. He could practically feel the daggers from Yugi’s eyes ricochet off his skull.

“I suppose so.” Atem responded quietly, not daring to move a muscle. The mounting tension in the room was quickly tempered by a third voice.

“Please forgive my partner, he can sometimes lack tact.” Yugi sheepishly responded, shooting one last sly dagger at Atem before carrying on. “What he was trying to get at was who did you and Duke associated with in high school? Did you have any other friends?”

Then as quickly as it came, Ryou Bakura’s tension melted. “Oh, it was me, Marik, Duke, and Tristan mostly. Duke had a lot of, erm, female attention, but we were his only real friends here.”

Atem listened with deaf ears as Yugi and Bakura conversed further about Duke’s high school years. His mind was elsewhere. That shift was chilling, like witnessing a wolf emerge from beneath sheep’s clothing.

 _Bakura is only pretending to be meek._ Atem thought to himself. This unsuspecting man was clearly not who he presented himself to be.

“Pardon my intrusion, but that is a very unique piece of jewelry you’ve got there.” Yugi changed the topic, gesturing to the center of his own chest.

The white-haired man looked down. From beneath the man’s grey cardigan glinted a crescentic piece of gold. The man opened his sweater briefly to expose a large ornate golden ring. “Ah this? I found it at a market once. The seller said that he thought I could benefit from its good luck.” Bakura chuckled lightly before wrapping his sweater around his chest once again.

“A very nice piece indeed.” Yugi responded. His violet eyes were bland and mild, but Atem could already see through his partner’s façade. He was very interested in the necklace and was hiding it. For what reason, Atem was unsure.

They wrapped up their interview with the collection of Ryou Bakura’s alibi. He claimed that he was spending time with Marik Ishtar playing video games until the early hours of the morning before passing out on Ishtar’s couch.

“Speaking of Marik Ishtar, we tried to stop by his place of residence and there was no answer. Do you have any idea where we can find him?” Yugi asked.

“Oh, he is always running about.” Ryou Bakura responded apologetically. “He’s a busy body. But he should be at work today and tomorrow assuming he didn’t get fired. Again.”

They collected the relevant details and made their leave.

Not five seconds after the door to the apartment had closed, Yugi caught Atem’s eye.

“I don’t know how you used to operate in cyber crimes, but usually people respond better to _not_ being pushed hard right out of the gate.” Yugi scolded. Atem, however, was unfazed.

“You were taking too long to get to the crux of the problem.” Atem cocked his chin slightly.

Yugi looked incredulous. “Did you fail Quantico? It was obvious that Bakura would respond more favorably to a softer touch. Basic human behavior 101.”

“Yeah, if you had years to gather your information. We got valuable information by my heavier hand, might I add.” Atem pointed out, as he got into the passenger seat.

“Yeah, that a person of interest will get pissed off if provoked.” Yugi retorted as he started the car. “Hell, I would too if I was suddenly knocked on my ass like that.”

“Ha ha.” Atem responded sardonically. “I was talking about that shift in body language and the way he talked. Did you not pick up on that? I think Bakura’s hiding something.”

“Yeah, his anger.”

“No, I think he’s much more dangerous than he or his rap sheet lets on to be.”

Yugi’s response was to start driving.

Both agents used the next few minutes of mutual silence to cool off. There would clearly be some growing pains as they got used to each other’s approach. Yugi was a thoughtful and meticulous interviewer. Atem, on the other hand, was a bit more brash and willing to take some risks.

 _Good cop, bad cop._ Atem thought amusedly.

If he was being truthful, he did not completely disagree with Yugi’s criticism. He had come across a bit strong. But ultimately, he achieved his end. He had acquired information.

Atem relaxed further into his seat. The first two suspects had provided some answers, but there was still much more that needed to be done. More people to interview. The final forensic report. Piecing it all together. Atem could sense that they had only seen the tip of the iceberg, and what loomed beneath the water’s surface was anyone’s guess.

One thing Atem did know is that he needed to keep his eye on Ryou Bakura. The supposedly meek man with the flashy jewelry.

_Speaking of jewelry…_

“You seemed very interested in his necklace… why was that?” Atem finally broke the ice.

“This is something better discussed over a beer this evening.” His partner’s demeanour softened noticeably, eyes briefly leaving the road to connect with his own. Atem had to suppress a good-natured laugh when he saw the excited stars dance in his partner’s eyes. Such pure infectious excitement. He could not help but feel his own mood lift and his interest start to pique in a necklace that he had initially written off as a gaudy and unimportant.

“Alright, lead the way.”


	4. All that glitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold, galaxies, and Guinness.

Going off the Sheriff’s recommendation from earlier that day, the two special agents decided to stop by the Kilt and Caber for a quick drink.

The Kilt and Caber was decorated exactly how you would expect. It was the poster child of the quintessential Irish bar. Plaid tartans and pictures of the Irish countryside adorned every inch of the walls. Wooden tables were scattered around the room while booths lined along the periphery. A worn oak bar had been installed front in center in the dimly lit room, bar stools lined up neatly around its circumference. A standard assortment of liquor bottles and other assorted bar paraphernalia were displayed behind the bar. The bar’s laid-back charm still shone through despite the faint aroma of stale alcohol and slight stickiness of the worn varnish coating every wooden surface. 

Although it was early evening on a Tuesday, there were still a fair number of patrons at the bar. Three construction workers still in their fluorescent vests sat at a table near the door, talking loudly. A group of older gentlemen nursed pilsners in the corner. Two older ladies chatted pleasantly over their wine in a booth. A man in a suit sat alone at the bar, having an intense and almost intimate staring contest with his vodka soda. As the two agents made their way towards the bar, they acquired the stares of many of the customers.

 _They must not get too many visitors out here._ Atem thought to himself as he hopped onto a barstool. Yugi took the one next to his. A scruffy looking man with his blonde hair partially contained under a bandana acknowledged the two men and took their orders.

Their afternoon had been a lot less eventful than their morning. By the time they had reached Marik Ishtar’s workplace at the local drugstore, he had already gotten off shift. A second stop by his duplex also yielded nothing. Begrudgingly, they cut their losses and decided to spend the rest of their afternoon researching the persons of interest back at the station and reviewing forensic reports.

The tension that had brewed between Yugi and Atem had dissipated over the course of the afternoon. In fact, by the day’s end, Atem felt like he finally started to understand what made his new partner tick. This knowledge put him at ease. Finally, once all of their work was done, Yugi once again suggested that they get that beer.

“How can you not order a Guinness in an Irish bar?” Yugi scoffed at Atem’s pale ale when their drinks arrived. “They didn’t warn me that I was going to be paired with some sort of heathen.”

Atem raised an eyebrow. “Do you even like Guinness?”

Yugi guffawed at the notion. As if to prove his point, he took a sip of the stout and closed his eyes in bliss. He let out an exaggerated, satisfied sigh. Followed by a series of damning coughs.

“Ah, liar!” Atem laughed.

“Oh shut up, it just went down the wrong pipe!” Yugi’s coughs morphed into laughs as he placed his head down on his arm against the bar. Yugi’s laughter was cut short as he soon went right back to coughing, eliciting another bark of laughter from Atem. Yugi continued to cough in spurts against the bar. Atem instinctively reached out to pat the shorter man’s back as if to dislodge those pesky drops of beer from his partner’s trachea.

Yugi’s coughs finally started to settle and lifted his head from the bar. He was out of breath and his face was pink.

“We will never speak of this again.” Yugi warned.

“Oh hun, are you alright?” A concerned female voice called from afar.

A woman walked over from the other side of the bar to where they were sitting. Her golden hair bounced with every step she took. Atem could hear the tell-tale click of her heels against the hardwood floor. Her make-up was done perfectly, and she wore a deep cut tank top emblazoned with the bar’s logo that left little to the imagination. She regarded Yugi with mild alarm and concern.

“Oh, you poor dear! Here’s a napkin. The bathroom is over there if you need it.” She doted over the agent with the gusto of a mother hen. Atem failed to stifle a laugh as he watched his partner’s face go from a tickled pink to flame red.

“And you! You should be helping him, not laughing!” She scolded Atem, looking poignantly at the glass of water by Yugi’s elbow. Atem quickly pulled himself together and presented the beverage to Yugi with an apologetic mumbled offer of “Water?”

Yugi thanked him and took a few sips, his face starting to return to its usual hue.

“Silly me, I never introduced myself. Mai Valentine. I’m the owner of this bar.” The boisterous blonde declared. “I haven’t seen your handsome faces around here before.”

“Uh, hi. My name is Atem and this is my partner Yugi.”

Mai’s eyes lit up. “Partners! Aren’t you two just _darling_!” Mai smiled wide, her eyes dancing between the two. “So how did you two –”

 _Wait, what did I just say?_ Atem looked in confusion towards his partner. Violet eyes went wide in understanding as they met his.

“Oh, not like that! We are, uh, work partners. We work together.” Yugi corrected amicably with a laugh as he waved off the onslaught of personal questions that were clearly poised to roll off the bartender’s tongue.

“Ah, that’s decidedly less fun.” The air fell out of the bartender’s sails. She regrouped quickly though, shifting her focus onto the obvious. “So, what sort of work do you do?”

“We are with the FBI.” Atem responded, his focus off his partner and back onto his beer. He took a swig.

“FBI! What are you doing here?” The bartender’s attention was now fully on Atem. “Nothing ever happens in our small town… oh wait. The murder. You’re here to investigate that, aren’t you?”

“Do you know anything about it?” Yugi asked as he too took a sip of his own beer.

“Only what’s come through the grapevine. I heard it was Duke Devlin. Poor guy, he was one of my regulars.”

Upon hearing that Mai had a connection to their victim, the two men fell quickly into work mode. They asked their questions, teasing out any important information she might have with expertly crafted inquiries. Atem could tell from Yugi’s small smile that he appreciated Atem’s efforts to not be too brash with his questions. Atem smiled back knowingly. After a few minutes of receiving the same information they had spent all day gathering, the bartender unexpectedly offered up a gem.

“I don’t think he was seeing anyone, but there sure was someone who wanted to see him.” Mai said with a knowing chuckle as she fiddled with the drink she was making behind the bar.

“Who was that?” Atem had finished his beer and was halfway done his second. He had followed Yugi’s lead, loosening his tie and undoing his top button as he settled in.

“Well, you must have heard that Duke was a bit of ladies’ man?” Mai slid Yugi a tumbler with a double of Irish whiskey on the rocks to replace his empty Guinness glass. _He’s really dedicated to this whole Irish alcohol thing._ Atem thought amusedly.

“Yeah, his best friend mentioned that.” Yugi said, his attention rapt on the bartender.

“Well, there was this one girl he apparently went out with some time ago who just wouldn’t leave him alone.” Mai started, with the flair of a well-seasoned storyteller. Both of the tricolor haired men leaned in intently. “Her name is Rebecca Hawkins. She’s one of the local girls. She originally moved to Raleigh for work but was laid off and moved back in with her parents here some time ago. Ever since moving back, she became very preoccupied with Duke.”

“Preoccupied how so?” Atem asked.

“The story I heard was that they went out for a bit a couple years ago, but despite their breakup, the girl never got the memo that Duke was not interested. She kept pestering him to give her another chance. She apparently went to some extremes in her pursuit of Duke.”

Before she could divulge any more details, Mai’s eye was caught by one of the other patrons at a table nearby who was waggling an empty glass in her direction. After apologizing and making the two men promise to shout if they needed anything at all, she excused herself to deal with her other customers. Atem and Yugi found themselves once again solely in each other’s company.

Atem held his glass out to offer Yugi congratulatory toast. “Here’s to our next lead. Tomorrow we talk to Rebecca.”

Yugi gently tapped his whiskey against Atem’s pilsner. “Hear, hear, _aibou_.” They drank.

“ _Aibou…_ ” Atem muttered thoughtfully. His pleasantly buzzed thoughts circled around the word, playing with and permutating it in his mind. “That’s a nice sounding word.”

“It means ‘partner’ in Kanji.” Yugi explained. His gaze was warm and slightly glassy from the alcohol.

“Kanji? You know Japanese?” Atem responded, clearly impressed.

Yugi said something in a language Atem could not understand, the words flowing off Yugi’s tongue like rainwater off a leaf. It was beautiful. Yugi seemed pleased by the awe in Atem’s expression and laughed. “Know it? I _am_ Japanese!”

“Really?”

“Yes! I moved here from Japan when I was ten with my grandpa. I’m still fluent, you know.” Yugi’s chest puffed out a little.

A mischievous smirk grew on Atem’s face. Two can play at that game. “ _I see your Japanese and raise you one Arabic.”_ Atem responded in his mother tongue.

“Wait, was that Arabic?” Yugi’s eyes went wide as he batted at Atem’s forearm in surprise. “No way. You’re kidding me!”

Atem chuckled lowly, raising an eyebrow. “I too have secret talents.”

“Well, call me a Kuriboh.” Yugi chuckled gently, somewhat uncoordinatedly propping his face in the palm of his hand, his inquisitive eyes never leaving Atem’s. “Did you move here too?”

“When I was very young. Two years old.” Atem confirmed. He took another sip, the beer warming a path all the way down. “My parents spoke a lot of Arabic at home and wanted to make sure we knew it well.”

“Where did you move here from?”

“Guess.” Atem challenged, crossing his arms as he leaned in slightly.

“Saudi Arabia?”

“Guess again.”

“Morocco?”

“No.”

Yugi hummed in thought, taking a drawn-out sip of his whiskey.

“Stop buying time. Come on _Special Agent._ ” Atem taunted.

Yugi put down his glass with an exaggerated sigh. He leaned forward to stare into Atem’s eyes intently, as if they would bequeath him with the answer he sought. Amethyst held on crimson. Time passed and Atem’s attention started to wander. He could not help but notice just how full Yugi’s eyelashes were.

“Earth to Atem?”

“Hmm?”

“Was I right? Egypt?”

Atem broke out of his daze. “Ah yes, you’ve got it.”

Yugi pumped a fist into the air victoriously.

“Oh, Egypt!” Yugi cried in sudden excitement, slapping a hand on the bar. “That reminds me! The reason why we came here in the first place.”

“It wasn’t for a drink?”

“No!” Yugi scolded mildly. “The necklace!” The shorter man took a quick look around the room. When he was reassured that none of the other patrons were paying attention, he started his tale with a question.

“How much do you know about Egyptian history?” Yugi asked. The question was quickly followed by a self-aware groan. “Ahhh, I’m sure you probably already know this. With you being Egyptian and all.”

“Try me.”

“So, my grandpa’s an archeologist. He spent the better part of his career researching ancient Egyptian artifacts and material culture. He made many discoveries, one of which is that there’s evidence that the nobility in ancient Egyptian society – the pharaohs, priests, and the like – had the capability to permutate spacetime and control forces beyond our understanding.”

“Oh really?” _Here we go…_ Atem thought with a mixture of trepidation and skepticism.

“There were many magical items that were made to help these strong spellcasters of sorts tap into their power. Beautiful, enchanted items that were said to bring great blessings… and great curses.” Yugi said darkly. His eyes were practically radiating light from his excitement. “None were more powerful than the Millennium Items.”

“The Millennium Items?” Atem echoed. Despite Yugi’s expertly told tale, he was unable to meet Yugi’s level of enthusiasm. This all sounded too fantastical for his liking. Magic? Strange items? Surely just stories to entertain impressionable minds.

“Yes. They are very interesting items. And all real, I assure you. In fact, my grandfather found a couple of them himself.”

Atem nodded. Supposedly magical or not, finding and preserving pieces of Egypt’s rich history is very impressive and important work. “Alright, that _is_ interesting.”

“That’s not the most interesting part, though. These seven Millennium Items were placed under the care of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt. They would occasionally do roadshows around the world with these items on display. Around twenty years ago, the museum brought their exhibit here to Washington, DC where unfortunately they were broken into. All of the seven Millennium Items were stolen.”

Atem’s eyes widened. “Did they ever find the culprit? Were they ever recovered?”

“No, and they never were. A few years into my career in the FBI, I took it upon myself to use my connections to try to track them down. But I never found them. All I know from my research is that they have changed hands in the black market so many times over the years they are impossible to trace. Lost, never to see the light of day ever again. Until today.”

“Are you referring to that necklace?”

Yugi nodded. “When I got a good look at it, I am sure of it. It’s the Millennium Ring.”

“Here in small town North Carolina?” Atem could not keep the skepticism from his voice.

“Yes.”

“How do you know its not a fake? A replica made to swindle gullible art collectors?”

Yugi took in a breath, his struggle to find the words he wanted to say clearly apparent. “I just… felt it. It has to be real. I mean, what are the chances?”

“What are the chances, indeed.” Atem did nothing to hide his disbelief as he took another deep swig of his beer. The chances were infinitesimally low. Maybe Yugi’s reputation was not entirely false. Maybe he is a bit mad like everyone in the bureau seems to think he is. 

“I know it’s a hard pill to swallow. And if I were you, I’d be wary too, but you’ve got to hear me out.”

“I heard you, but honestly, I can’t believe it. Do you hear how you sound?” Atem said with a shake of his head. “Hmm… don’t tell me. Next, you’re going to say that our victim was murdered by some magical Egyptian relic. Or that I’m some reincarnated ancient Egyptian pharaoh or something.”

Silence. Yugi’s stare was even on Atem, almost stern.

“You can’t be serious… I’m really a king?”

“Oh fuck off.” Yugi tossed his hands up in frustration, causing Atem to bark with laughter.

“Well, whether you believe in it or not, I think it’s a lead that deserves our attention. And I want to go back soon and ask Ryou Bakura about his necklace.” Yugi stated.

“Alright. We can do that. But when we find our perfectly powerless, non-magical murderer, I can’t promise I won’t say ‘I told you so’ _._ ” Atem ribbed his partner, prompting those amethyst eyes to roll.

“Good luck with that. When _I’m_ right, you’re buying our drinks. That night I will be drinking the top shelf whiskey… and lots of it.” Yugi responded cheekily.

“You’ve got a deal, _aibou._ ” Atem smirked. “Hmm, I really like that. _Aibou_. _Aibooooou._ ”

Yugi snorted. “I really wish you’d stop butchering my language with your terrible pronunciation, _pharaoh._ ”

* * *

They left the bar sometime around midnight. Both were unsafe to drive, but since the Pine Bluff Motel was just a ten-minute walk away, they decided to forgo a cab in favour of walking. Yugi promised the blonde bar owner that he would come pick up his car in the morning, and with a cheery wave, they left the bar.

The cold night air was refreshing against Atem’s skin. As their feet somewhat clumsily carried them down the side of the gravel road, their path only illuminated only by moonlight and the occasional streetlight, Atem tipped his face upwards. It was beautiful. The night was clear and the stars were gorgeous and bright. As he admired the cosmic swirls above, his fuzzy mind could not recall the last time he had seen the stars like this. In Washington, they were often hard to see, even on clear nights. The light pollution from the city often blotted them out.

“See any aliens?” Yugi inquired.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Atem chuckled, side-eyeing his partner.

Yugi crossed his arms in feigned sternness. “You’re brave to talk to your boss like that.”

“Weren’t you the one who insisted I view you as a partner?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect that olive branch to lead to so much insubordination.” Yugi rolled his eyes dramatically. When Yugi’s eyes returned to this realm, he stopped walking abruptly. 

“Yugi, what’s going –” Atem followed Yugi’s gaze down the road. He sobered up very quickly. _What the hell?_

A few meters up the gravel road sat a lady in white, still as the night air. No coat, no bag. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as she stared off into the dark forest on the other side of the road. As if sensing the agents’ stare, she came to rouse, her head quickly turning in their direction.

The woman got up from the ground in one fluid motion and started quickly towards the two tricolor haired men. Atem’s hand instinctively went to his right hip. Dammit. He forgot he was off duty. He tensed slightly as the woman’s pace quickened, feeling naked without his service piece.

“How can we help you, ma’am?” Yugi’s voice cleared as he slipped into work mode, his jovial cadence now replaced by an even authoritative tone.

“You have arrived.” A statement said almost reverently.

“Arrived?” Atem repeated. “I’m sorry ma’am, but have we met before?”

“No, we have not. But I have been expecting you for some time.” Her face came into view. Although partially obscured by the dark, Atem could still make out her delicate features in the pale moonlight. Dark eyes were accentuated by high cheekbones. Black hair fell beyond the woman’s shoulders flowing like a river in the night. Her toned skin contrasted against her white tunic-style dress. Golden jewelry seemed to hang from every part of her body.

“You see, I was told that two foreigners would enter into our town. Although true in their convictions, their arrival would bring upon us great chaos and sorrow.” The woman said gravely, her hand drifting upwards to rest at her neck. “I was sent here you to warn you of this.”

 _Is she insane? Dangerous?_ Atem’s skin crawled as the questions built up in his mind. Interestingly, a glimmer in the moonlight caught his eye prompting his gaze to wander toward the hand placed at the woman’s neck. Her fingertips caressed a thick golden choker. “Chaos and sorrow? Sent here? Where are you getting this information?”

“I know this is hard to believe but I see things to be. It tells me so.”

 _Definitely insane._ Atem concluded.

“Ma’am, may I ask where you got that necklace?” Yugi inquired, leaning in slowly and cautiously to take a closer look. The mysterious woman moved her hand aside to expose the golden choker, a stylistic eye reminiscent of the Eye of Horus stared out at the two men unblinkingly.

“It comes from our homeland. I am now its keeper, and in exchange, it has leant me its power.” The woman responded. “My name is Ishizu.”

Before Yugi could lock them into a never-ending conversation with this unnerving stranger, Atem took control of the ship. “Do you need us to call you a taxi, ma’am? It’s nearly midnight and it’s not safe to wander alone out here in the dark.”

Ishizu turned to address Atem. “You are just as it told me. Although strong and righteous, you struggle against the darkness inside, working hard to keep it at bay. Your pain rings through to me, touching my soul.”

“I do not mean to be insulting, ma’am, but you do not know me.” Atem said slowly, biting back a few more inflammatory words he would have rather said.

“I know this may be a bit hard to understand, Special Agent Sennen, but what I say is true.” Ishizu responded.

_How does she know my name?_

“Your punishment does not fit your crime. But when all hope is lost, your struggle will deliver you a great light.”

Atem felt a jolt go through his body. His head went light. He did not know what he wanted to do more, run or vomit. But as quickly as the sensations came, they passed. In their wake, he was left with a cold numbness and many more questions than when he had started.

In the meanwhile, Ishizu had turned her attention onto his partner. “Although you outwardly portray joy, you too are filled with pain. And questions. So many questions. You are about to find the answers you seek. However, you may not like what you find. The path you are on will drag you deeper into your own darkness.”

“What will I find?” Yugi asked in earnest.

 _How he could even entertain this woman’s ramblings?_ Atem sighed loudly in impatience.

“That is not for me to tell, Special Agent Muto. I must go. But before I leave, I have been told to give you a name for your search: Maximillian Pegasus.” The woman broke eye contact and stepped beyond them to head in the direction of the bar.

“W-wait! What does he have to do with this? And who gave you that name?” Yugi called out, but the woman continued her journey in resolute silence. He moved to follow but was impeded a hand on his shoulder.

“Let her go.”

“She may still have valuable information, Atem!”

“She’s clearly a few cards short of a deck.”

Yugi looked over at him, eyes narrowing. “I think you’re a bit too quick on the draw there. Didn’t you see, she had one of the Millennium Items! The necklace. Maybe future sight is one of its powers…” Yugi mused. Atem was clearly less enthralled.

For an intelligent man, Yugi Muto seemed to have his head in the clouds all too often. How could he even entertain the idea that this insane woman can see the future? It made Atem want to bash his head against a nearby tree. However, he knew that now was not the time to argue about fact and fantasy. Atem had the wherewithal to know that the alcohol he had consumed would probably make him say some thing much too harsh.

“Can we please discuss this at another time and place.” Atem gestured to their surroundings with a sweep of his hand. “Let’s head back to the motel.”

Yugi gaze slipped to silently stare for a moment over Atem’s shoulder, eyes unfocused and distant. He finally hummed his agreement. Spinning on his heel, Yugi started decidedly off towards the Pine Bluff Motel. Despite both having shorter than average legs, Atem had to practically jog to maintain Yugi’s pace.

“Tomorrow we look into both Rebecca Hawkins and… Maximillian Pegasus, of all people.” Yugi said somewhat incredulously once Atem had fallen in stride. “What the creator of Duel Monsters has to do with any of this, I have no clue.”

“It’s all very strange.” Atem murmured, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Now you’re starting to get it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! It’s taking all of my willpower to not post the next few chapters right now in bulk… 
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://atems-leather-pants.tumblr.com/)


	5. Muddied waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irresponsibility, interviews, and infatuation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To prove I am not a coward to a certain basket of froot, I have decided to cave and give you three chapters instead of one today! Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are now up for your perusal! Let’s see where this leads us…

Despite their late evening, Atem rose with the sun like he usually did. He had slept so soundly that he had nearly forgotten the night before. The drinks. The Millennium Items. The strange lady in the dark. But as he lifted his head from the pillow, he became acutely aware of one of those entities.

Now sitting at a desk in the Sheriff’s office, it was clear that Atem had seen better days. The two ibuprofen in his system took the edge off his headache, but his tiredness had not abated. To his eye, his partner looked to be in a similar state, but was making a show of pushing through. Although his partner’s efforts were commendable, Atem could not be bothered. After a quick greeting said in passing to the sheriff, he situated himself in the small conference room they had commandeered and started researching one of their next persons of interest. In record time, Yugi disengaged from Sheriff Gardner and joined Atem.

“First we are going to see Rebecca Hawkins. 24 years old. A freelance software engineer living here in the middle of nowhere.” Yugi started. Atem looked up from his computer to peer across the table at his partner.

“She graduated from Princeton and was apparently hired by a large software company in Silicon Valley but turned it down in favor of working closer to home. Unfortunately, she was laid off from her position in Raleigh and now works freelance from the comfort of Canton.”

“Alright, so that part of Mai’s tale checks out, but what I’ve got over here is even more interesting.” Atem spun his laptop around to show Yugi what he had been working on.

“Pegasus and Devlin were business partners. I’ve found some patents to prove it.”

“Very interesting. What for?”

“A game. Duke was collaborating with Pegasus to develop a new game. It was some sort of Duel Monsters spin off.”

Now that could be a possible motive. Business partners when their endeavors are profitable are generally able to work well together. Although, greed or fear of losing the business can quickly sour these relationships. Atem had seen people murder for much less.

“We will definitely need to ask Pegasus about this.”

“I agree.”

After a few more minutes of planning and strategizing, the two triclolour haired men packed up their things and hit the road.

* * *

“So you were dating Duke Devlin?” Yugi inquired. He was sitting opposite from Rebecca Hawkins in her parent’s living room. Her parents apparently had a real love for all things floral. Floral wallpaper, floral curtains. There was even a rose patterned area rug. Yugi sat on the edge of the dainty floral printed couch, feet planted firmly on the ground, leaning forward ever so slightly. Atem tried to keep his face as neutral as possible while he held back a chuckle. Yugi chosen his positioning with an express purpose in mind. Many studies have shown that this sort of open and attentive body language provides a welcoming environment that encourages people to open up. 

Rebecca clearly never got that memo.

“Yeah, we dated.” She responded succinctly, her eyes performing their own silent interrogation of the agent in front of her. She did not elaborate further despite the several seconds of silence Yugi purposely let hang. He bit back a frustrated sigh. They had been here twenty minutes and had hardly gotten a full sentence out of the woman.

“How long?”

“Six months.”

“What was your relationship like?”

“We dated.”

“I’m sorry, I misphrased that.” Yugi rubbed the back of his neck as he apologized. “Did you ever have any rough patches in your relationship?”

“Yeah, and we broke up.”

“What lead to the breakup?”

“A fight.”

Again, nothing more was offered. She was not forthcoming in the slightest. It was like pulling teeth. Atem could sense his partner’s building frustration as the interview progressed at this painfully glacial pace. Although his partner’s tone remained even and inviting, he could see Yugi’s leg start to bounce as the tension mounted. Atem had seen enough.

With a quiet clearing of his throat, Atem garnered the attention of both his partner and the small blonde woman. It was time to try his approach.

“I just have a question for you. Did you kill Duke Devlin?” Atem asked casually.

The woman’s eyes went wide with terror. Yugi’s eyes went wide too, but on the contrary, he looked aghast. After a moment, Yugi's initial dismay faded to a simple look of defeat. Atem knew he would not face as much resistance against his tactics here as he had the last time.

“Well, did you?” Atem pressed further.

“Of… of course not! I loved him!” She cried.

“But you had broken up two years ago.”

“Ah, 'broken up' is a harsh phrase. We are – ah, were – on a break. We were finding ourselves.”

“A two year ‘break’? We heard from Duke’s best friend, Tristan, that he was done and wanted nothing to do with you.” A calculated bluff, but her answer could be very telling on many fronts.

“Tristan is full of shit. I wanted to end our break early, but Duke still needed time. I’d check in occasionally, that’s all.” Rebecca said with an exaggerated shrug. Despite her outwardly calm demeanor, Atem could still see the growing agitation and anxiety sparking in her eyes, like an animal caught in a trap. Those fine cracks in her resolve were spreading. A few more chips and she would fall to pieces.

“We heard that he thought you were stalking him.”

“Who told you that?!”

“Anonymous source.” Atem deflected. “There were even rumours of a restraining order.”

Atem watched as his words hit their mark and he could practically hear her façade shatter. As he watched the girl in front of him start down the path he had seen many go down before, he carefully collected information.

Through Atem’s many years as an agent, he had realized that there are many ways people break down. Some cry, words spilling from their mouths like water gushing from a broken dam. Damming words. Broken words. Even sometimes, words that would become their salvation. Others became angry, belligerent, or even violent. Upturning tables, pointing fingers. Screaming their case for the entire block to hear. Others yet went silent. Slipping quickly into catatonia in self-defence to protect against further onslaught and harm.

Rebecca was a crier.

“I… I just couldn’t live without him, ok?” She sobbed, her hands swiping at her eyes feebly. “I just wanted him to hear me out. To give me another chance, you know? I never meant any harm by it.”

As explanations now flowed freely from their person of interest, Atem looked at Yugi expectantly. Yugi responded with a look that said ‘you won’ as he stood up to find some tissues for the blubbering woman. Atem scooted his chair forward.

“I’m sorry I made you revisit all of that, but it is important to hear your side of the story.” Atem apologized, hoping his words could soothe her just even momentarily.

Yugi retuned with the tissues. With a mumbled thanks, Rebecca accepted the box and blotted at her eyes. When she had regained her composure, she looked up at Yugi and offered her thanks for the gesture.

“Oh, don’t mention it, Ma’am.” Yugi responded a tad sheepishly.

“No, it was very kind what you did for me. I really appreciate it.” The woman said with a watery smile, eyes sparkling almost adoringly. For several moments, her eyes did not leave Yugi’s.

_No, no, no._

“There’s one last thing we’d like to ask you before we go, Rebecca.” Atem said, hopefully redirecting the attention away from his now blushing and flustered partner and back onto himself. Rebecca’s eyes iced over as they met his. Despite the cool gaze, Atem barreled on. “Where were you on the night of the 24th?”

“Here. All night. My mother can verify.” Her replies were back to being clipped and even more irked than at the start of the interview.

“Thank you for your time, ma’am. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day” Yugi expressed his gratitude with a note of finality. As he got off the couch and made his way towards the door, he was quickly intercepted by a blonde blur.

“It was so very nice to meet you Agent…?”

Yugi blinked. “Muto.”

“Muto! What a lovely name. Goodbye Agent Muto!” She said with a coy smile.

Atem tensed. He knew what was going on. This woman was clearly shifting her focus and he had to get his partner out of there. Now.

“Goodbye, ma’am.” Atem said with a polite nod. He opened the door and practically pushed Yugi out of it. They did not say another word until they got into Yugi’s car.

“Well, that was interesting to say the least.” Yugi remarked with a nervous chuckle as he sat down in the driver’s seat.

“She’s hiding something.” Atem responded tersely.

“Oh, she definitely is. And we are going to figure out what.”

* * *

They drove on winding roads through the lush forest that encased the sleepy town of Canton as they made their way deeper into the Appalachians. Through the trees, the occasional house or cottage could be seen briefly as the car sped down the back country roads. After a few minutes, Atem’s phone signaled that they had found their destination and Yugi turned off onto a winding paved drive. Looming in the distance was a large mansion nestled within a cleared lot of land. Despite its extravagance, the sprawling wooden front porch spoke to the rustic atmosphere of the region. Atem internally remarked how this private residence was substantially larger than the motel they were currently staying at.

“Apparently this isn’t even Maximilian Pegasus' main home. It’s his ‘Appalachian retreat’ vacation home.” Yugi relayed.

They parked the car and made the trek up the wooden front stairs to the doorway. Atem raised a gloved hand to ring the doorbell.

There was no answer for several seconds. Then, the muffled sounds of foot falls could be heard approaching the door. A stern looking man in a suit with brown hair aggressively styled into a solitary spike answered the door. His eyes were obscured by sunglasses despite having come from indoors.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but –”

“You need an appointment.” The door started swinging shut before a stunned Yugi could even respond. Atem was quicker to act, shoving a boot in the doorway.

“FBI. We would like to speak with Mr. Pegasus.” Atem explained, holding out his badge for inspection. The man regarded the item with suspicion before turning his eyes back on Atem.

“Yeah, right. Sure you are. Do you have a warrant?” He sneered.

“Uh…”

“Then Mr. Pegasus does not need to talk to you.”

The door slammed in their faces. A brief flash of anger coursed through Atem as he stared in dumbfounded silence at the wooden door. There were few things that frustrated him more than when people were purposefully obstinate. He needed to talk to that guard. He moved to ring the doorbell again but was stopped by a hand on his forearm.

“It’s not worth it. We will just have to go through official channels.”

Atem begrudgingly nodded in response and followed Yugi back down the steps. Just as his boot hit the paved drive, he heard a door open from behind him.

“Oh hello! You two over there!” A flamboyant voice called out.

Standing in the doorway was a man who, despite his cascading white hair, appeared to be younger than his hair colour would indicate. He was dressed in a double breasted, bright red suit which was perfectly tailored to his slim form. A wave of the hand beckoned the two agents to approach. When the man next spoke, his melodic voice held a note of apology.

“Please do forgive my bodyguards. I get a lot of fans and he just wanted to preserve my peace.” The man explained. “However, I am more than happy to discuss whatever you’d like, agents. Please, come on in.”

The two agents murmured their thanks as they introduced themselves. Atem followed behind Yugi as they proceeded to follow the CEO into the expansive foyer of his vacation home. It was decorated in a neo rustic manner, with oak floors and wrought iron features. They were led into a large reading room where the walls were covered from the floor to the ceiling with brimming bookcases. Several velveteen chairs were situated beneath reading lamps. Atem felt slightly agoraphobic at the over the top display of countryside extravagance as he took a seat beside Yugi across from Pegasus.

The man in question crossed his legs, settling back into his own chair. “So gentlemen, what can I do for you today?”

“We are here investigating the murder of a resident from the town of Canton. His name was Duke Devlin. We were told that you might have some information that could be beneficial to our case.” Atem explained.

“Duke Devlin? He was murdered?”

After hearing the agent reconfirm the crime, Pegasus’ nonchalance broke. He became owlish and mildly agitated. “And you think I had something to do with it?”

“The investigation is still ongoing. We are collecting information and have no suspects currently.” Yugi’s tone was perfectly reassuring, but from the look in his partner’s eye, Atem could tell not alone in his disconcertment.

“We were business partners. He was helping me with a spin off of Duel Monsters. Oh, what am I going to do about his project now?” Pegasus lamented.

“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt him?”

Pegasus chortled. “I can think of one. I suspect you’ve already spoke to his ex girlfriend? Rebecca something or other?” Nods from the agents prompted the CEO to think beyond that scorned ex-lover. “Otherwise, he was very well regarded. I don’t know of anyone else.”

“How long did you work together?”

“Two years. He was a real gem.” Pegasus relayed solemnly. Although his words held a certain morose note, his body language did not shift in the slightest. He continued to sit there, nonchalant and comfortable in his plush chair.

 _Is he genuinely sad about this? Or is this some sort of a front?_ Atem could not decide. He needed more information.

The remainder of the conversation provided little new material. Pegasus claimed that there was no strife between himself and Duke. The new game was in the development stages and was not going to be released for some time. Industrial Illusions was as profitable as ever, and if anything, Pegasus insisted that losing Duke was going to bite into his profit margins in the long run. The game was poised to be a hit. Despite Pegasus saying all of the right things, Atem’s suspicions persisted. Something about Pegasus’ nonchalance set Atem’s teeth on edge.

Shortly thereafter, Yugi drove them towards the location of their last person of interest for today. Atem idly regarded the trees passing by as he ran over the details of the case in his mind. He was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. They were not making much headway with their initial data collection. Many of the persons of interest that they had interviewed so far were grey in their involvement. There were a few curious pieces of information that did not seem to fit and a few interesting characters that seemed to evade Atem’s grasp.

Although mildly frustrated, Atem could not help but feel a deep sense of curiosity and thrill. The straightforward cases he often dealt with back in the cyber crimes division could get menial, and he welcomed challenges such as this one. Cases where things did not add up. Peculiar behaviour. Unhelpful answers. Personal skeletons begged to be unearthed.

“Thoughts?” The solitary word broke him from his daze.

“Many, but nothing all that coherent.”

Yugi chuckled softly. “Well, we are on the same page. Maybe visiting this Marik Ishtar will give us something we can use.”

Atem doubted that.

* * *

Yugi’s car pulled up outside the small drugstore where Marik Ishtar worked. As they walked through the door, a dainty bell chimed to announce their arrival. A bored set of dark eyes beneath a shock of ashen hair lifted from a cellphone to inspect the new arrivals.

“If you need any help, just ask.” The man drawled lazily with the enthusiasm of a person who would rather be any other place than here. The man’s attention once again refocused on his phone.

“Actually, we do need help. You’re Marik Ishtar, right?” Yugi inquired.

“Who’s asking?”

They made their usual introductions, badges held out for inspection. The man did not stop looking at his phone.

“The feds? What are you doing all the way out here in this hell hole?”

“We are investigating the murder of Duke Devlin.” Atem said.

“Duke? He’s been murdered?” The man finally looked up from his cellphone, his expression blank. Atem waited for the man to process the news, but that blank stare persisted. There was no shock, no sorrow, no fear. Just emptiness.

“You were friends with him, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, ‘Kura more than me, though. Does he know?”

“You mean Ryou Bakura? Yes, we spoke with him yesterday. Did he not tell you about Duke?” Yugi asked.

“No. We haven’t talked for the last couple of days. I’ve been busy.” Marik’s tone was flat to Atem’s ear. Almost purposefully so. Was he trying to hide something?

They asked their standard questions, of which Marik answered readily but rather simply. Atem found himself wondering about the completeness of these answers. Apparently Ryou had befriended Duke at school and drew Marik in. They had the usual teenaged disputes but things had mellowed out as they had aged. Marik admitted to some teenaged delinquency with Duke, but swore that Duke had stopped getting in trouble. By the narrowing of Yugi’s eyes, Atem could tell his partner was just as skeptical as he was.

“No, Duke did not really have any enemies. The only person who seemed to scare him was Rebecca, but you guys already know about her.” Marik answered, pulling up the stool behind him to have a seat. “I think his boss had beef with him, though. Duke ranted about that prick several times over drinks.”

“What did he say about Pegasus?”

“The rich guy was just very controlling, always trying to meddle with Duke’s plans for his game.” Marik elaborated. “Duke wanted to tell him to fuck off, but getting out of business with Pegasus was not going to happen. The draw of money was too much, and he had a patent or something keeping him there.”

“Very interesting.” Yugi murmured. “If you can think of anything else that…”

Atem’s attention faded from his partner’s words. While Marik Ishtar had been taking a seat, his red work vest had moved aside briefly. A glimmer of gold flashed at his hip. Yugi’s talk of items had gotten into his head and Atem’s curiosity took over.

“That’s an interesting piece you’ve got there.” Atem interrupted, motioning to his own hip.

“Oh? It’s nothing.”

“Is that gold? If so, then that would be a pretty expensive thing to take to work.” Atem commented.

Marik bristled. He hit a nerve. “Back off, it’s a religious item.”

“Can we please take a look?” Yugi asked innocently, his eyes widening slightly, going soft and wobbly like a small child’s would. Atem fought the grin forming on his face. He was _good_. The self awareness of his partner and his ability to play to his strengths was incredible.

It almost disarmed Marik. Almost. In the end, the cashier just pulled his vest tighter around his midsection. “Not unless you have a warrant.”

Atem hefted a sigh. He knew full well they could not get a warrant for this. They would have to let this one go for now. “That won’t be necessary. We have one final question for you. Where were you on the night of the 24th?”

“Playing games with Ryou. The fucker fell asleep on my couch partway through a quest.” Although the words themselves were harsh, there was a certain fondness behind them. Atem noted that his alibi was consistent with what Ryou Bakura had provided.

Yugi held out a business card to the cashier. “If you think of anything else that may help us find whomever did this to your friend, please call.”

They made their way out of the store and back to Yugi’s car. Atem’s headache was returning. Although they had talked to many people, he felt just as lost as ever. No one seemed to know anything of value, and although their main suspect was Rebecca, the ex, he did not feel like they had much of a case built against her.

They discussed their lack of fruitful progress all the way back to the Pine Bluff Motel. Little did they know that the muddied waters they were wading in were about to get even more murky.

* * *

The following week was spent pouring over the information that they had collected in painstaking detail. The forensics reports were slowly trickling in, but they were of minimal use. Several fingerprints were lifted off Duke Devlin’s body, but there was no match in either the state or national databases. The hairs found were shown to come from Duke himself. There were at least a dozen distinct shoeprints at the scene of the crime, which was unhelpful but unsurprising as Duke was found along a well-used trail through the forest. The final autopsy report listed the death as a homicide, with the cause of death being blunt trauma. The blood and toxicology examinations did not demonstrate anything out of the ordinary.

Atem turned his attention back to the qualitative information they had gathered through their interviews. Connections were formed, but nothing tangible enough to hold onto. Despite Yugi’s preoccupation with the Egyptian artifacts and the role they may play in this case, namely that one was the murder weapon, Atem still felt that the most likely suspect was Rebecca. What he could not resolve was how she was connected to the other identical murders that had happened some years ago in this area and the one other connected murder outside of North Carolina. Interestingly, in Atem’s search he also found an additional murder in a database of cold cases with identical scorch marks that had occurred many years ago in New Jersey of all places. He had shown Yugi this new information, and with an excited murmur, Yugi offered to look further into it. After several more rounds of interviews teasing out connections and potential motives, they still had little to show for their efforts and certainly not enough to make an arrest.

Other than Rebecca, Atem’s suspicions often lingered on Ryou Bakura. Although they had talked with the man a few more times over that week hammering down timelines and following hunches, the dark shift Atem had once witnessed never happened again. Maybe Yugi was right and Atem had just touched a nerve, but something about Bakura just screamed _wrong_ to Atem. He could not shake the feeling that Bakura was involved somehow.

Logically, if Bakura was involved, then Marik Ishtar likely was as well. Ishtar’s criminal past preceded him, providing a basis to explain a potential escalation to murder. Apparently, Duke had recently started speaking again with Marik Ishtar. Maybe some old argument flared up again and Marik snapped? Despite their attempts to parse out what was going on with that newly rekindled friendship, they were unable to get any elaboration.

Then there was Pegasus. Intellectual property, more specifically profits from intellectual property, is a good motive for murder. Maybe Duke actually tried to take ideas elsewhere or go out on his own? Maybe Duke was secretly working for a competitor? That would be enough for any bottom-line oriented CEO to snap.

There were so many other people too that seemed to be involved in this case, even peripherally. For example, the woman in white, Ishizu. She was the one who sent them knocking on Pegasus’ door, and seemed to know something about the gaming company president that they did not. She was also very strange and hard to pin down. Their repeated attempts to find her at her home or work were in vain. The agents brought up these difficulties with Sheriff Gardner and Mai who both explained that Ishizu was well known around town for the strange hours she keeps and her wanderings. However, Mai assured them if they came to her bar on any given Wednesday at midnight they would find her without fail.

And then there was Mai herself. She was a central figure in this small town and knew many pearls about the townspeople. Although friendly and helpful to a fault, someone with her clout could not be entirely excluded from their investigation.

Despite their best attempts, they continued to have an abundance of unanswered questions.

“I swear, one of them must be hiding something.” Atem huffed, pushing his laptop away in frustration.

“I think a lot of them must be, but we have yet to find these lies and exploit them.” Yugi responded as he continued to type on his own laptop. “We need to bring them in for interviews again. I say we start with Pegasus. He’s a shifty one…”

“We have already talked to him three times. We’ve gotten nothing.”

“Well, do you have a better idea?”

“Rebecca.”

“We have talked to her _four_ times. Nothing.” His partner reminded.

Atem ran a hand through his hair in frustration. _There must be a connection we are missing._

Coincidentally, his partner also had the same thought. “There must be a connection somewhere here. But unfortunately, I think we may have to put this on hold for now.”

Yugi spun his laptop around to show Atem an email sent from the Associate Director most responsible for their department. Apparently, there was another case that required their express attention.

Atem cursed.

“I don’t know, this may be a good thing. Sometimes time can be an important clue.” Yugi said with a small shrug. “And we can keep an eye on this case on the side.”

“Now you sound like one of those Quantico training videos.”

Yugi chuckled as he closed his laptop. “Come on, let’s pack up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, the murder will be revisited sooner than you think! But in the meanwhile, I think it’s time to address a few of the other mysteries… this way to chapter 6.


	6. Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doubts, decks, and delicacies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to the server of extraordinary ygo writers who have turned me to goop too many times to count with their kindness and feedback. Please check them out, they create some truly awesome content! – [Cleopatra/Empressofthelight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressofthelight), [Life_0r_Death](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_0r_Death/pseuds/Life_0r_Death), [Spellcastersjudgement](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellcastersjudgement/pseuds/spellcastersjudgement), [Seiyofira](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seiyofira/pseuds/Seiyofira), [Alecto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alecto/pseuds/Alecto), [Darkmagiattack](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmagiattack/pseuds/darkmagiattack), and [Cieryuu!!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cieryuu/pseuds/Cieryuu) (sorry if I forgot anyone!)
> 
> Although I will never reach your level of talent and skill, I am forever grateful you let me play in your playground! <3

Although three months had passed, Atem’s mind still wandered frequently back to their now cold case. In their time away from Canton, he and Yugi had solidified themselves as an effective pair, solving a multitude of other cases sent their way. Many ended up being explained by mundane answers. A supposed haunting of a house in West Virginia was nothing but an elaborate ruse orchestrated by a scorned brother. Mysterious designs appearing in cornfields throughout farms in Ohio was the doing of another farmer strategically stealing crops for his own profit and trying to shirk attention. Other cases, however, were harder to rationalize and made Atem think in ways he had never before. One sech case was a high-profile bank robbery in Maine with key surveillance footage of an unknown man seeming to move things with his mind. It was cases like these that made Atem start to wonder if there was indeed more to this life than meets the eye. Strange forces, people with strange powers. None of it made any sense. He found himself questioning his own beliefs as he dug deeper to find the truth.

He sat at his desk in the ‘shadow realm’, quietly typing up his field report from their latest case. It was not wrapped up as cleanly as he had liked it to be. They had just returned from New Mexico where a string of supposed alien abductions became another case without a satisfying conclusion. Atem had come to realize that unlike cyber crimes, these cases marked with the characteristic X that came across their desk were hardly ever wrapped up in a nice, neat bow.

Atem’s focus was broken by an item lightly tossed into his file inbox. A characteristic brown paper bag now sat atop his paperwork, and was quickly joined by his coffee mug, now filled to the brim.

“One cinnamon sugar twist doughnut and a black coffee.” Yugi announced as he walked away from Atem’s desk to fall into his own chair. He dug out his own doughnut from its bag and took a bite.

“Of course. Sprinkles.” Atem chuckled, remarking about his partner’s choice in doughnut.

“It’s the best doughnut. I can’t help it that you have inferior taste.” Yugi quipped back causing Atem’s chuckle to develop into a full blown laugh.

They settled into comfortable conversation while they munched on their treats. In addition to being a good work pair, Atem had found himself enjoying talking to Yugi even outside of work situations. They generally kept things work related during the day, but sometime ago, they had started texting each other regularly during the evenings. It started off as talk about various game related things. Card games, board games, video games. Oh, was Yugi ever into games. It was hardly a surprise to Atem, though, as knew his partner had minored in video game design in college. Yugi would send him texts at least once a week discussing the latest video game he played. In turn, Atem would often pick up the game and join Yugi in various online quests and battle royales. These games became the nidus of their easy friendship; a friendship that often provided him with doughnuts whenever his partner’s sweet tooth kicked in.

“Hey Atem, I remember you mentioning that you used to play Duel Monsters.”

“Yeah, I did. Haven’t played it in a while, though.” Atem responded through a mouthful of doughnut.

“Well, what would you say about joining me and a few friends in a Duel Monsters tournament on Saturday night?” Yugi asked with a small smile.

Atem stopped mid bite as an odd nervousness took ahold. “Really? You sure? I don’t want to, uh, impose or anything.”

“You wouldn’t be!” Yugi exclaimed. “I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t want you there! Plus I think you’ll really like my friends. You’ll fit right in.”

Atem could not help but smile back. Yugi’s infectious excitement always got the best of him. “Alright then, I accept. Prepare for your defeat!”

“Good luck with that. Remember my tournament wins? You don’t stand a chance.” Yugi chuckled, eyes gleaming mirthfully.

“Yeah, but you haven’t ever faced a deck like mine.”

“Bring it on, Sennen.”

* * *

That Saturday afternoon Atem sat cross legged on the living room floor of his apartment surrounded by a sea of Duel Monsters cards. Since the rules had evolved since the last time he played, he was scrambling to make some last-minute adjustments to his deck. Earlier that day, he had studied a few of Yugi’s past duels online and was now confident that he should be able to put the violet eyed man in his place.

“Playtime is over, Yugi.” Atem smirked, collecting his now finished deck and placing it in its leather deck box. His eyes glanced to his watch. 6:07 PM. He would have to leave soon if he was going to be on time. After tossing his favourite black motorcycle jacket over a loose floral t-shirt, Atem stared at his face in the mirror briefly as foreign, nervous and largely incoherent thoughts flitting through his mind. His time at the FBI had resolved the stress he had once felt when meeting new people. Today, however, his nerves were definitely getting the best of him.

If he was being honest with himself, his nerves were not exclusively tied to meeting Yugi’s friends, but also stemmed from his partner himself. Despite their late-night gaming sessions online, they had never hung out outside of work things. Sure, they would play games and watch movies together in motel rooms while on the road, but they had never really spent time together in person while at home in DC.

Atem swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. He debated bailing. He could text Yugi and say he was not feeling well to avoid this whole situation.

“What has gotten into me? You’re friends now.” He reminded his reflection. “And he wants you there. You are going.”

With one last nod to himself in the mirror, Atem made his leave.

* * *

A half hour later, Atem stood outside the door of Yugi’s apartment, his outdated duel disk slung across his back. A six pack of beer was in one hand while the other was poised to knock on the door. The muffled voices and laughs that could be heard from beyond the door reignited his trepidation. Fighting against his own building stress, he inclined his head, took in a breath and knocked as assertively as his hand would let him. 

A couple seconds later, a familiar face popped up in the doorway.

“Atem! Hi! Took you long enough.” Yugi greeted warmly.

He looked so different.

His partner’s erratic hair was pulled back neatly into a small ponytail. He now sported multiple ear piercings and silver wrist cuffs. A thin black leather choker encircled his neck. A faded black t-shirt and mildly distressed jeans completed the look.

“You never told me you were some sort of _cool_ nerd.” Atem joked with a laugh. “Did you always have that many ear piercings?”

Yugi collected the beer and ushered Atem inside. “I did, but I don’t put in any earrings in at work. Gotta look the part of a government agent. Nice eyeliner by the way.”

“Thanks.”

“Hey guys, this is my friend from work, Atem!” Yugi announced, practically dragging Atem into his living room. He was greeted by a half dozen people. His attention was quickly pulled towards one boisterous guest in particular.

“Oh hey! Nice to meet ya!” A man with a mess of blond hair sprung up from a couch and offered his hand. “I’m Joey!”

“Nice to meet you, Joey.” Atem responded gripping the offered hand with a smile.

“So dis guy’s some sort of duelist, eh Yuge?”

“I, uh, well…” Atem stammered slightly.

“Yeah, and he’s been telling me how he’s going to beat us all for the last week.” Yugi relayed excitedly, clapping Atem lightly on the back. “Now that we are all here, we might as well head up to the roof and get started.”

Over the course of the next few hours, the duelists took turns dueling each other on the large rooftop patio of Yugi’s apartment building. Atem’s initial nerves had quickly abated when he realized that Yugi’s friends were just as friendly and welcoming as his partner was. As the night progressed and much to everyone’s delight, Atem found himself able to duel decently well even after all these years.

Atem carefully replaced his deck in its case and removed the duel disk from his arm. He had just garnered another win under his belt. As the next two duelists set up, Atem walked over to a stretch of railing where he could have a good vantage point to watch the next match. The sun was starting to set and the sweltering heat of the summer day had finally started to fade away into a blissfully temperate summer night. A warm breeze tousled his hair gently as he leaned against the railing, watching the two duelists draw their starting hands. After a few turns, Joey’s luck-based strategy proved to pay off handsomely as the tide of the duel shifted in his favour. Atem watched alone in content silence as cards were upturned and holographic monsters were vanquished along the backdrop of the setting sun. Soon, however, he was no longer alone.

“How he gets as many wins as he does with rolling dice is beyond me.”

“I was just thinking the same thing. It looks like he’s going to win again.” Atem observed.

“That’s Joey for you. The guy has guts.” Yugi said with a fond chuckle. “He even used this strategy on the pro circuit for a few years.”

“He’s a pro?”

“Yeah! He does pretty well for himself too. We went to high school together and got into the dueling scene at the same time. He went pro after high school. As for me, I decided that although I loved playing the game, I ultimately would rather make games. That’s how I ended up taking video game design in college.”

Atem briefly surveyed his friend in quiet contemplation as an inner struggle between curiosity and politeness was waged. Curiosity won.

“Why are you not making games? Why are you in the FBI?” Atem asked quietly.

Yugi’s eyes seemed to darken slightly in the twilight. “I, uh, guess life happened.”

“I’m sorry if that was too personal of a question.”

“Oh, no. It’s ok, Atem.” Yugi reassured with a small smile. “And hey, you're pretty good at this game too! You’re really making a name for yourself here! Three wins.”

Atem’s concern did not abate, but he decided to go along with Yugi’s deflection and answered in kind. “Ah, I have the same record as you!”

“Well, that will change when I beat you.” Yugi said with a smirk, the darkness in his eyes now gone. His shoulder bumped gently into Atem’s.

“In your dreams.”

The night went on and sure enough, Atem was poised to face Yugi in the finals of their friendly tournament. Atem was trying to adapt against Yugi’s Silent Magician deck, but the ex-tournament duelist currently had the upper hand.

“Oh come on, is that all you’ve got?” Yugi called from across the rooftop, his determined face illuminated only by the glow of his duel disk. The sun had set some time ago.

“You will regret those words.” Atem called back confidently. “Using my trap Magician’s Navigation, I summon the Apprentice Illusion Magician and the Dark Magician to the field!”

In a shower of sparks, Atem’s ace monster stormed the field. The onlookers cheered.

“Dark Magic attack!”

The duel went on for several more minutes, but ultimately, Atem found himself backed into a corner, setting up Yugi to finish his life points off with a flourish.

Atem hated to lose. It did not matter if it in games, work, or life. Defeat always stung. Although oddly enough, it did not hurt this time. Atem found himself breaking out into a wide grin and calling out to his opponent. Yugi came over with a jog, a wide smile on his face.

“You really had me on the ropes there!” Yugi praised. “Your Dark Magician deck is awesome!"

“Not as good as your Silent Magician deck.” Atem grinned back. “Thanks for this. I forgot how much fun this could be.”

Atem could not get over how Yugi eyes seemed to shine in the dark.

* * *

“You know you really don’t need to help me clean up!” Yugi called in protest from the kitchen as Atem rounded up the dishes and bottles from earlier that night.

“It’s the least I can do.” Atem said as he entered the kitchen, tossing the bottles in the recycling bin.

Atem had stayed to chat with Yugi and his friends for a few more hours after the tournament had concluded. Soon Yugi’s friends started going home. Joey was the last to leave, but not before nearly crushing Atem’s ribcage with a hearty bear hug. Now it was just the two of them alone in Yugi’s apartment chatting away about everything and nothing all at once.

Two sets of hands made the tasks go quickly and soon the two tricolour haired men were sitting in Yugi’s living room showing each other their deck builds.

“So, I use this card as a monster negate, but it also helps set up my graveyard, you see?” Yugi explained holding an Effect Veiler monster card for Atem to inspect. Atem hummed his understanding.

“I think this would work well in your deck too. It's even a spellcaster that can be used as fusion material. Here, take it.”

“Oh Yugi, I can’t.”

“I insist.” The card was proffered.

“No, it’s your card!” Atem said shifting back in his seat slightly, holding his hands up and away from Yugi’s card.

“Atem, come on! Take the card!” Yugi shoved the card against Atem’s chest.

The warmth of Yugi’s hand on his chest permeated through his shirt, radiating outwards. Atem’s breath hitched in his throat, but he didn’t pull away. Yugi also seemed to freeze momentarily, staring blankly at his hand. Through increasingly fuzzy thoughts, Atem managed a chuckle.

“Oh.” Atem tugged at the corner of the card that was peeking out from between Yugi’s thumb and forefinger. “Thank you, _aibou._ ”

“Don’t mention it.” An embarrassed chuckle came from a flushed face. Yugi’s hand fell back into his lap. “I’m glad to see your pronunciation’s getting better. Still terrible, but no longer offensive.”

Atem rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.“Well, it’s late and I should probably go. Thanks again for inviting me. This was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

“You now have a standing invitation. You really have to come next time, Joey is kind of pissed he didn’t get to duel you. He’s already sent me three texts about it.”

Atem assured him he would, and made his way to the door. An idea formed in his mind as he was putting on his coat.

“Oh, speaking of hanging out... I don’t know if you’re into this sort of thing, but I’m setting up a new campaign with my brother Mahad and some of my friends and if you ever wanted to join…”

Yugi joined him in the hallway. “You mean like Dungeons and Dragons?”

“Uh, yeah…”

Yugi lit up like a Christmas tree. A single teasing word escaped his lips. “Dork.”

“I resent that.” Atem huffed without disdain.

Yugi laughed, smile beaming bright. “Alright, I’m in!”

“Really? Great! We play on Tuesdays.”

“I’m there. Goodnight, dork.”

“Goodnight, nerd.”


	7. I want to believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hurt, harbingers and hellfire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you came here via email notification, go back to chapter 5. This was a bulk 3-in-1 post and you're starting two chapters ahead! The last chapter posted before today was chapter 4.

Dueling on that long summer’s night soon became a memory as summer inevitably became fall. Atem and Yugi continued to plug away at the cases that came across their desk, working in sync just like their Dungeons and Dragons characters did on Tuesday nights. They travelled up and down the eastern seaboard and even made a few trips out west to provide their unique expertise on the strange cases that the local police or sheriff’s departments could not crack.

But sometime around November, Atem had started noticing a change in his partner.

The usually easygoing agent had started to become a bit more distant. Cagey almost. He started missing their usual game nights, citing headaches and other one-off commitments. Atem, who generally arrived at their office later than Yugi was now the first one to show up. When Yugi would finally arrive at work, the dark circles under his eyes would tell a tale that his tongue never would betray, no matter how hard Atem tried to convince him to talk. When pressed, all Yugi would admit to was poor sleep all the while reassuring Atem with a smile that it was nothing serious.

Over the next week, Yugi seemed to get worse, but additional inquiries only resulted in the same answer. Atem outwardly accepted his partner's words somewhat warily, but internally, he was becoming increasingly concerned.

Today, Yugi looked to be in even worse shape and Atem felt it was time to extend a hand once again.

“Yugi, are you sure there’s nothing I can help you with? I can write up that field report. Maybe you can go home and get some rest?” Atem offered gently, hovering a couple feet away from Yugi’s desk.

“No. I’ve got this. Plus you’ve got plenty of work on your plate that you need to do anyways. Why don’t you get started on that?”

“Yugi, I’ve noticed that you haven’t been yourself lately and I…”

Yugi eyes snapped up from his screen, conveying a silent warning stronger than any words uttered could ever have. 

Atem froze. He had never seen him like this before.

Despite sensing the oncoming storm, Atem knew that if he continued to back down like this and let Yugi walk all over him, his partner – friend – would remain like this. Clearly in pain. _And when did I start allowing people to walk over me? Why do I let him do this?_ Atem mused internally. His mind was made up. He had to do something.

“Yugi, we need to talk.”

“Later.” Yugi sighed, returning his attention to his screen.

“No. Now. We can’t keep working like this.”

“Like what?”

“Me standing idly by as I watch you have some sort of breakdown.”

The warning look Yugi shot Atem could vaporize a steel beam.

“You are clearly hurting, Yugi. As your partner and friend, I just want to help. But you keep pushing me away. If you can’t talk to me about whatever is going on, at least let me help you find someone who you can.” Atem’s mouth ran and kept going, trying to squeeze in everything he wanted to say before the expected retort was unleashed.

That retort never came.

Yugi’s eyes continued boring into Atem for what felt like a millennium while Atem continued to stiffen with each passing second. _Did I overstep my bounds?_ It sure seemed like it. Although they had become friends over the course of their partnership, in this moment, Atem could not help but wonder if that was really the best thing for either of them.

“Atem.” Yugi finally responded, clearly trying to pick his words carefully. “I want to thank you for your concern, but please, _please_ , stop. I am ok. Really. Even though you think you’re helping by doing this, but you’re really not. So, I’m asking you one final time, as your _friend_ , please stop.”

The pain behind Yugi’s eyes was clear despite his insistent denial. Atem’s heart twisted in his chest. He wanted to reach out. To help. But Yugi would not let him. He knew he could push forward, like he would in an interrogation. He could get to the bottom of this.

But he could not do that. Not to Yugi.

Biting back his frustration and worry, he begrudgingly held his tongue once again.

With a quietly murmured apology, Atem sat down at his desk and the two agents resumed their work in silence. Try as he might, Atem could not focus. His thoughts kept cycling back to the man across from him. 

* * *

Atem set his thermos of coffee down beside his laptop dock in preparation for the start of his day. Despite their somewhat cramped quarters, Atem had come to like his basement office over the past nine months. Well, except now. After their uncomfortable conversation a couple days ago, Yugi and Atem had hardly said much to each other beyond what was needed for work. The silence in the office ate away at Atem’s nerves and despite Yugi’s words assuring him that there was nothing serious going on, Atem continued to worry.

Atem’s concern continued to grow in his partner’s notable absence. His partner had called in sick for the last two days. Yugi almost never called in sick, and if he did, Atem would usually get a string of texts lamenting about a migraine or runny nose to keep him amused throughout the workday. He would often chuckle and offer to bring soup. Yugi never accepted his offer but was always grateful.

Atem’s texts offering soup were not even answered this time.

He sat down heavily in his chair, eyes settling momentarily on the UFO paperweight atop his partner’s desk. With a sigh directed at the alien spacecraft, Atem passively flipped open his laptop.

 _Yugi will be fine._ Although the thought was meant to soothe and comfort, his own the words rang hollow in his mind. Instinctively, his hand reached towards his phone to send a text, but upon feeling the glass underneath his palm, Atem decided against it. Instead, he did what he usually did whenever he was trying to avoid a problem: work. He logged onto his computer and started prioritizing his tasks for the day.

As his email was refreshing, Atem heard the soft click of the door handle behind him. He leaned back in his chair and craned his neck to see who had entered.

“Hey Atem.” Yugi greeted quietly, slipping off his brown leather backpack as he crossed the room.

“Oh, hi Yugi.” Atem said, the surprise in his voice poorly hidden. “How are you doing? Are you feeling a bit better?”

“Yeah, a bit. Thanks. I guess I just needed some sleep, that’s all.” Yugi said with a small smile as he went to lean up against the edge of his desk to face Atem.

A knot seemed to loosen in his chest. By no means perfect, Yugi appeared to look a bit better. His hair was neat again and the dark circles under his eyes had subsided somewhat. However, the world weary, drained look in those violet eyes persisted. Atem wished he could make that look go away.

Atem forced a reassuring smile. “I’m glad to hear that, Yugi.”

“Did I miss anything important over the last few days?”

“Nothing really. I gathered info and made calls for XF25436 and XF25437. I also sorted the supply closet.”

“Thanks for doing that, Atem. The closet was a mess.” Yugi chuckled and pushed off the desk. “Can we discuss what you found once I grab some coffee? Do you need anything?”

“I’m alright, thank you.” Atem motioned towards his thermos.

Yugi placed his bag down beside his desk then walked back out of the office. Atem’s eyes fell back onto his laptop, but his mind was preoccupied more with his thoughts than the words on the screen. Yugi seemed better. Not completely right, but better. Atem hefted a sigh. He felt something he had not felt in quite some time. Relief. Even more importantly, he started to feel hope that things may soon return to normal.

Then the phone rang.

“Department of Unexplained Cases, Special Agent Atem Sennen speaking.”

“Agent Sennen, long time no talk.” spoke the harbinger.

Atem’s blood curdled upon hearing the characteristic, almost deadpan drawl. He nearly dropped the phone.

“Assistant Director Kaiba.” Atem spoke, his tongue heavy. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know, I assumed they fired you nine months ago.” AD Kaiba fumed. “So when the hearing documents were released sometime later and I realized that you had actually been _reassigned_ , slumming it in some basement working on fuck all, do you know how I felt?”

Atem did not dignify that line of questioning with a response. Anything he said would surely come back to haunt him.

“Injustice. You were supposed to be fired! But those old assholes went easy on you.”

Atem’s grip on the phone tightened as he willed himself to remain silent. The plastic creaked in protest.

“I launched appeal after appeal, but without new evidence they wouldn’t revisit your case. I never wanted it to come to this, but Atem, you are finally going to get what you deserve. I will see to it myself. In a few moments you will receive an email requesting your presence at a disciplinary hearing. At this hearing, new evidence highlighting your misconduct will be brought to light. I will _personally_ be there to ensure justice gets served.”

“Can we not sort out our differences without having to bring HR into this?” Atem caved. He instantly regretted it.

“No!” A shrill syllable met Atem’s ear, causing him to recoil slightly. “You _humiliated_ me and I will not stand for it!”

“Kaiba…”

“That’s AD Kaiba to you, you little cretin!”

Atem opened his mouth to retort, but quickly snapped it shut. He had learned his lesson.

“See you on your last day tomorrow." The line went dead.

Atem sat in silence for a few minutes, struggling to fully process what had just happened. _He is going to… this might be it._ Atem thought numbly, the first inklings of dread starting to permeate through his shock.

Although he had originally had his reservations about his mandated position in the Department of Unexplained Cases, Atem had come to realize that this had become one of the best experiences that he had ever had. Through his time in this office he had gained so much. He was given challenging, rewarding work that kept him on his toes. A new perspective on the world. New questions. New ways of thinking. Most of all, he had gained a new friend.

 _A friend…_ Atem sat back in his chair, taking in a slightly tremulous breath as his mind drifted back to Yugi. He wasn’t just a friend, he had become so much more. He was a partner in the purest sense of the word. And even…

Atem screwed his eyes shut, fists balled on his desk in frustration. What would Yugi think when this all came to light? Would Yugi be able to look him in the eye? Would he still… care? Or would distance himself from the hurt and chaos that Atem seemed to attract? Distance himself from Atem? An involuntary shudder coursed through Atem’s body. _I am going to lose him…_

A cheery chime sounded from his computer. Another harbinger indicating that the end is here. Atem’s eyes fluttered open. Sure enough, there was a solitary unread email sitting at the top of his inbox.

‘Incident 567377: Action Required.’

_Fuck._

With a shaking hand, Atem opened up the email to confirm what he already knew. He had numbly read through half of the email detailing the hearing procedures when he heard the door to the office open again.

“I was thinking for the Colorado cobbler case, we really need to reach out to… uh, Atem? Are you alright?”

Atem straightened up in his desk and took a deep breath to steady himself. He willed his hands to stop shaking. He did not need this now. He had to stay strong for just a few minutes.

“I, uh, have a hearing tomorrow.”

“A hearing?” Yugi blinked. A knot formed in Atem’s chest as he watched his partner’s confusion become replaced with a kind, quiet concern. His partner’s expression did nothing to soothe him. In fact, it did the opposite. Being on the receiving end of Yugi’s easy and unassuming compassion just served to further highlight his own inadequacy. His own failures. He was not worthy of such a response, of such a kindness. His face started to burn with shame, and when it proved too much for Atem to handle, he diverted his eyes to his desk.

“Is this related to why you were assigned here in the first place?” Yugi asked gently.

Atem nodded mutely, still staring at his desk.

“I am so sorry, Atem.” The shock and remorse in Yugi’s words searing Atem’s ears, pushing him deeper into his spiral. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“There’s nothing you can do.” Atem said with a note of finality.

Atem could sense Yugi’s restlessness build as he watched his partner play with the cuff of his sleeve out of the corner of his eye.

“I know I haven’t been the easiest person to work with lately. I’m… I’m sorry about that. But I do value our partnership and I hope you know that.” Yugi swallowed, clearly pushing back against his own issues in an attempt to reach out and help. “I’m going to ask you one more time. So please…”

Atem felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. Worried amethyst eyes were about to be his undoing.

“Let me help you.” A whisper, soft and almost fond.

He was undone.

Atem choked on the rogue sob that bubbled up from his throat. He coughed and sputtered until he could barely breathe. The hand never moved.

“There’s… there’s nothing, Yugi.” Atem dug deep, pulling a veil of projected stability over his cresting fear. “You should distance yourself from me. I do not want you to be involved in any of this. Any of the… mess I made.”

The grip on his shoulder tightened. “No way. I could never do that. You’re my partner!”

 _Go._ _GO. Why won’t you go?!_ Atem screamed at Yugi in his mind as the walls started to cave in around him. His heart hammered at a sickening pace. Despite Atem going rigid, Yugi never left. He lingered just beyond his eyes with that same gentle, imploring gaze. If he would not go, then Atem would have to leave himself. Atem mustered up what remaining strength he had left and with a shrug off his shoulders he relieved himself of Yugi’s grip. With a feigned air of composure that he did not actually possess, Atem walked towards the door. Footsteps alerted him to his company.

“Yugi, please stop.” Atem protested sharply, more sharply than he had intended.

The footfalls stopped.

Atem left the office, blindly making his way through the familiar hallways. He eventually found himself outside. The bitter cold air stung his face everywhere the tears were not. Soon those warm tracks would freeze over. He sat on the mercifully shoveled steps, gulping down the cold winter air as his emotions, previously so tenuously pushed aside, came crashing down around him. Usually the cold bothered him, but today he welcomed the uncomfortable sting. It took his mind off the pain in his chest.

He sat quietly on those steps for several minutes, breathing haggardly, waiting for the uncomfortable sensations to pass. They finally did, but exchange, Atem’s anger and shame returned tenfold.

He had not meant to snap at Yugi. His partner had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had done everything right. He was always so good, so supportive.

Atem could not stand to sit any longer. With a nervous, almost frantic energy, he walked one lap around the building in the effort to clear his mind. Once the cold proved to be too much, he made his way back inside. His restlessness slowly abated. In its stead, he was left with an odd numbness and a solitary desire. To apologize to Yugi.

With leadened shoes, he slowly made the walk downstairs back to their shared office, running over what he would say in his mind to atone for his reaction. When he finally entered into the dimly lit office, the usual blue light of Yugi’s computer monitor was off. He had left.

 _Oh. His appointment_. Yugi had mentioned something last week about having an appointment this morning.

Cursing internally, Atem sat down roughly in his chair, tossing his head back to stare at the ceiling. He needed to text Yugi. Apologize. Reassure him. Yes, that would be a good start.

Atem’s gaze fell forward to find his phone, which had been left amongst the sea of papers in his hurry to leave. His eyes were met by a familiar, yet unexpected sight. He could not suppress a small bubble of astonished laughter as tears once again welled up in his eyes.

Lying on his keyboard was a familiar brown paper bag. His coffee cup had been replenished, steam curling out from the black coffee within. But his heart tugged the most upon seeing the small note attached to the bag.

~

Atem,

I’m so sorry if I upset you. I was just trying to help. I know you need your space, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I hope you that I am here for you. Please accept my apology and this peace offering. I will be back in a couple of hours.

Text me, ok?

Yugi

~

* * *

The next day, Atem found himself standing back outside a familiar heavy wooden door. This was the door that lead to the conference room where he would once again have to fight. The board was surely talking amongst themselves while they await the arrival of their next ‘problem’. Although these men would certainly be intimidating to most agents, they did not scare Atem. It was another member of the meeting that occupied the epicenter of his dread.

Seto Kaiba.

The words out of that man’s mouth could be his downfall. Dangerous and potent, Kaiba’s clout was able to sway or bully most people he met in his favour. Today would be no different. Kaiba’s silver tongue would work overtime today to ensure he would get what he wanted, and what that man wanted most is to see Atem suffer for what he did.

Atem felt himself starting to sweat. He tugged at his collar to no relief. Were ties always this tight? He could barely breathe. His suit jacket was constricting. As he uncomfortably shifted under the thick fabric, Atem’s dread seeped deeper into his bones. He wanted to leave, but this had to be done. Inclining his chin ever so slightly, he raised his hand to the doorknob.

Upon entering, he was met by the expectant faces of the board as they issued their formal, quiet greetings. He shook the five older mens' hands. Once he had finished, he finally addressed the sixth man in the room.

Seto Kaiba was off to the side, sitting nonchalantly in his chair with his arms crossed. Antagonistic icy blue eyes met his, shining with a form of almost morbid excitement like a predator eyeing his trapped prey.

Atem felt the sudden overwhelming urge to yell. He wanted to stand in front of the panel and tell them exactly what happened. Every detail of his ‘crime’. Why he was _really_ in this situation, strung up for lashings at the behest of Seto Kaiba.

But no one would believe him. It was his word against the great Seto Kaiba’s. His words would be twisted and be written off as a feeble smear plot devised by a desperate man with questionable morals. The power differential was too vast. Even _if_ telling the truth would get himself out of this frying pan, he would promptly be tossed into the hellfire that is Seto Kaiba’s wrath.

Quickly quelling the urge, Atem sucked in a quiet breath and held out a hand to Kaiba with a formal greeting of “Sir.”

Atem got nothing in return. Kaiba’s arms remained crossed as those menacing, vindictive eyes bored into his. With a slow clench of his outstretched hand, Atem retreated and sat down in his designated seat.

“Special Agent Sennen, thank you for coming to this meeting on such short notice.” The first said. “I’m sure you’re wondering why you have been recalled here at this time.”

Atem nodded once, not trusting his words.

“Assistant Director Kaiba has once again brought your situation to the attention of the panel. He wishes for us to reconsider your employment at the FBI and insists on your immediate termination.”

Atem could not stay silent any longer. “On what grounds, sir?”

“The same as before, although he now claims to have additional information. The basis, however, continues to be your reckless insubordination which threatened both the outcome of a case as well as the safety of another agent.”

There it was again. The lie Kaiba had told the board to set him up. The lie told to hide the real reason why he wanted him gone.

Now, the events as they were told were not entirely false. Most of it had actually happened, in one way or another. Almost a year ago, Atem’s team within the cyber crimes division was in hot pursuit of the leader of a notorious identity theft operation. This organization had stolen nearly one billion dollars from individuals and industry alike. They were building their case piece by piece, meticulously acquiring data both from their investigation as well as from a mole planted deep within the operation. If this they were successful, it would have been the biggest case of Atem’s career to date and would have easily set him up for a shot at promotion.

He had almost succeeded too.

Upon his last check in with AD Kaiba, Kaiba had caught wind of just how big of a bust this would be and insisted he become involved. Kaiba’s ego knew no bounds and this was not the first time that Atem had seen Kaiba try to take the reigns from another agent at the end of the case to ensure that he got the praise and glory. Atem despised this behavior and would usually resist as best he could despite the power differential. This time, his usual civil approach quickly became a hard and nasty fight. He fought back with everything he had. He and his team had put in all of the legwork and be damned if he were to let his power drunk boss claim all the credit. There were words said, and the conversation quickly devolved into a shouting match. In the heat of the moment, Kaiba demoted Atem and quickly assumed control of the case. Under Kaiba’s hand, the case was promptly ran into the ground. The agent on the inside was exposed and critically wounded when he was discovered. He had survived by the skin of this teeth, but never returned to the FBI.

The glory evaporated before Kaiba’s eyes, leaving a haze of rage in its wake that was focused on the one thing remaining under his thumb that he could still control. Atem. And by his hand, Atem was painted as the sole reason why the case went down in flames.

“This agent defied my direct orders regarding the arrest plan and due to his recklessness, one of my agents was maimed! Nearly killed!” Kaiba growled, that rage and fury focused back on Atem. It took all of Atem’s self-control to not let his tongue loose.

Because that was not all there was to this story.

Although nowhere near the level of Kaiba’s involvement, Atem was not entirely clean in the matter either. He had made an emotional and impulsive mistake some time ago that still haunted him to this day. The only reason why it has not come to light yet in these hearings is because Kaiba himself would also face a degree of backlash should the truth come out. The truth why Kaiba _really_ wanted Atem fired.

“We have heard your concerns, AD Kaiba, but this particular incident has already been addressed and the correct disciplinary actions have already been undertaken.”

“The terms of his probation are too light. He should have been fired like I had originally done.” Kaiba slammed his hands against the table.

The slate grey eyes of the third board member narrowed. “All over a mistake? He was acting within his means as team lead to spearhead that arrest. Yes, he might have been reckless, but we think that dismissal is too harsh for a first-time offence in an otherwise exemplary agent. AD Kaiba, unless you have any new concerns you wish to bring up to the board, this case has reviewed and resolved adequately.”

Atem could practically feel the anger roll off Kaiba. He could see the tension in Assistant Director Kaiba’s shoulders, muscles taut under his crisp linen button down. Atem lifted his eyes slowly to the face of the man who had made his life a living hell all those months ago.

He was met by the icy stare of a man who was out for the kill.

However, there was more to this look than just spite. Beyond those blue eyes held a question. A dangerous question. An internal debate was going on, and upon noticing this, Atem felt a wave of nausea buffet him unexpectedly. His hands instinctively gripped the edge of the table in a feeble attempt to steady himself. _Would he?_ Did Kaiba want the conference room floor smeared in Atem’s blood so bad that he would willingly put his own reputation at risk?

“I do have something – ”

A series of knocks rang through the conference room.

The board looked visibly confused at the sudden interruption, but eventually one of them motioned for Atem to investigate.

On shaky legs and still biting back the bile threatening to rise in his throat, Atem answered the door.

“Hi Atem.”

“Yugi?” Atem breathed. _What the –_

“Would you let me in for a moment?” Yugi asked quietly. “I need to say something.”

Atem nodded mutely and stepped aside so his partner could enter.

Yugi’s arrival stirred up a series of reactions from the room, but none more contentious or vocal than Seto Kaiba’s.

“Who the fuck are you and what are you doing interrupting this private hearing?” Kaiba seethed, rising out of his chair to use his height to his advantage in a clear effort to intimidate. To Atem’s surprise, Yugi calmly met the man’s gaze and held it for a moment in unnerving silence before speaking.

“Supervisory Special Agent Yugi Muto. I’ve been Special Agent Sennen’s commanding officer for the past nine months and I have some insight I’d like to provide regarding his probation.” His partner’s voice carried a dominant gravitas that filled Atem with awe. At the same time, Atem was filled with apprehension as Yugi clearly did not know what AD Kaiba was really capable of.

Kaiba stared on in dumbfounded silence. Without another word, Yugi sat down in a chair beside Atem. Surprisingly, AD Kaiba followed suit, sitting down quietly with his eyes now transfixed on Yugi.

“Now, I have not been given the details regarding the situation leading up to Special Agent Sennen’s demotion,” Yugi started, “but I do not need to. Over his probation period, Special Agent Sennen has proved himself to be a valuable and hardworking member of my department time and time again. His work ethic is exemplary and his collaboration in a team environment is outstanding.”

Kaiba found his tongue. “What a load of bullshit. This agent is a menace and –”

Yugi’s gaze snapped from the board to Kaiba, brow furrowing. “I would appreciate it if you would not interrupt me.”

Atem swore his heart had just stopped.

Kaiba’s face turned red as he lost his composure. The usually coolly eloquent man started sputtering, now openly irate. A member of the board interceded before Kaiba could get a coherent thought out. “Please continue, SSA Muto.”

As Yugi continued, the board’s undivided attention remained on the short, yet authoritative agent stating his case. However, in the meanwhile Yugi had turned his own attention onto his partner.

“Agent Sennen has been an irreplaceable asset to my department. However, I think we all know that that Agent Sennen is good at his job. There is one final thing I _would_ like to say. Atem Sennen is the finest agent I have ever had the pleasure of working with… and he is a good man.” A small smile fought its way through the agent’s veil of professionalism, twisting at the corners of Yugi’s mouth. Yugi looked back towards the board. “He deserves another chance.”

Atem’s thoughts momentarily went blank, his wide eyes still transfixed on his partner. All of his energy was being used to keep his jaw from going slack. His head swam in a vertiginous state that was not entirely unpleasant. A vague buzzing sensation had bloomed in his chest and he was certain he had not taken a breath in at least half a minute. He did not even know where to begin. How to begin…

“Thank you for your input, Supervisory Agent.” One of the board responded. “Your evaluation will go on the record. Now, if you will excuse us.”

“Thank you for your time.” Yugi got up slowly, and after a small, reassuring nod towards Atem, he left the room.

“AD Kaiba, do you have anything to add?”

The Assistant Director sat in stunned silence, eyes smoldering. Atem knew that look all too well. Kaiba was livid, clearly in the throws of some silent tantrum. The Assistant Director’s animosity was only held at bay by decorum and his desire to save face in front of his bosses. However, thanks to Yugi’s interjection, Atem knew if Kaiba spoke now, it would only blow up in the Assistant Director’s face. By the look in Kaiba’s eyes, Atem knew Kaiba had realized this too.

The board took his continued silence as his response. After a mere moment of internal discussion, Atem was once again addressed by the board.

“Special Agent Sennen, your probation period will continue as previously mandated.” The third board member concluded. “Dismissed.”

Atem expressed his gratitude and gathered himself to leave. As he got out of his chair, he avoided acknowledging the fuming and piercing stare that he could feel was trained on the side of his head. Reassured that he was safe for now, Atem left before that rage became too much for Kaiba to internalize.

Not five steps out of the conference room, Atem roughly peeled off his suit jacket. He breathed a sigh of relief upon feeling the cool air finally start to reach his skin.

 _I thought that was going to be the end_. _But Yugi. Where? Why? I hadn’t even told him which conference room… But he found me. And…_

Atem felt something foreign but decidedly wonderful swell up in his chest at the thought of Yugi’s kind words, said with so much conviction and trust. He did not deserve this. Any of it. Him. Those words were said without even knowing the details of why Atem was even in that situation in the first place. Yet he somehow said all of those things with unwavering conviction because he believed… in him.

His guilt flared. He knew that he should talk with his partner. Come clean. Lay all of the cards out on the table and deal with whatever his reaction might be. Something held him back. His gut twisted sickeningly with worry and trepidation. It would be… heartbreaking if it were to change anything between them.

_Heartbreaking._

The word ringing through his mind, Atem made his way out of the building, flinching slightly as the cold winter air pierced through his shirt. He let the cold permeate for a moment before putting his suit jacket back on. However, the chill outside did not cool him entirely. It nothing to quell the newfound warmth within his chest. The warmth he silently feared he might lose.

* * *

Atem reached their shared office a few minutes later. He opened the door quietly and placed his bag down beside his desk. The faint clicking of Yugi’s typing stalled and a mess of hair poked around the monitor slowly.

“How did it go? That is, if you are alright to talk about it and all…” Yugi speech trailed off in the way it did whenever he was nervous. Yugi, who just stared down a man with the temper of a Blue Eyes White Dragon and lived to tell the tale, nervous! Atem could not believe it.

“I’m not fired. My probation will go on as planned.” Atem reported with a small smile.

“Oh, that’s great!” Yugi responded enthusiastically, springing up from his chair to properly speak with his partner.

“Yugi, I… I just… What you did in there, for me, I, ah…” stammering slightly, Atem found saying the words he wanted to say exceedingly hard around the lump in his throat. “Thank you. Thank you, Yugi.”

Yugi’s eyes seemed to dance as his face broke out into an easy smile that said a multitude more than his mouth could. “Anytime _._ ”

Their smiles grew wide and soon they both released their built-up tension as one, chuckling like fools at nothing and everything all at once.

“Well, since you’re back on the team, I thought I’d give you a ‘welcome back’ gift.”

“A gift?”

Yugi walked over with his hands behind his back. With a bit of flair, Yugi dumped a thick file on Atem’s desk.

“Oh, paperwork. My favourite.” Atem deadpanned.

“Not just any paperwork. I think you might actually be interested in this one.” Yugi’s voice took on an oddly serious tone.

Atem opened up the cover of the file. Circular burn marks. An unmarred body squarely positioned in the center. Branded marks were noticeable on their neck.

It was not Duke Devlin. The body was different. It was a different person.

“There was another murder back in Canton, NC.” Yugi murmured, the joy had left his voice. “They killed again…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The count is now up to 15. You know who you are and I will not stop. I cannot be contained!) 
> 
> As always, comments are always appreciated! Good, bad or otherwise, I always love hearing from y’all!


	8. Trust no one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems, pours, and pasts.

Although only nine months had passed since they first visited the small town of Canton, it felt like years for Atem. Throughout these months, the unsolved case of Duke Devlin’s murder weighed heavy on Atem’s mind. Now, the killer had claimed another victim and the stakes had been raised. They needed to find who did this before they went back underground, or more importantly, before they killed again. The air was thick with unanswered questions. Who was behind this? How were these strange murders carried out? And why? However, the unanswered questions did not end with the case.

Despite seeming nearly back to normal just a couple days ago, Atem feared that Yugi was sliding back down a familiar slope. When they met up this morning to leave for Canton, Yugi was noticeably distant and dismissive. Over the last couple of hours cramped together in his car, this had become even more apparent. Whenever Atem tried to talk to Yugi, their conversations were stilted and forced. These clipped exchanges only served to further highlight Atem’s growing feelings of frustration and futility. Let the record show he tried. He really did. But his partner, now friend, had continued to shut him out. Despite his ever-growing concern for the man across from him, Atem debated cutting his losses. Sometimes people just did not want help, no matter how obviously they needed it, and clearly, Yugi did not want his help. He had explicitly stated this before.

Out of the corner of his eye, he surveyed Yugi. As the violet eyed agent kept his sights on the road, Atem took in the telling dark circles under his counterpart’s eyes. _He must not be sleeping well again. Does he also look a bit more gaunt?_ Atem made a mental note to make sure they ate a proper dinner tonight.

“I know the hair’s a sight to see, but you don’t have to stare.” Yugi tried to joke but his tone failed to rise to the occasion.

Atem laughed softly. “Yours needs some work. Mine’s clearly more handsome.”

To Atem’s delight, his quip got a small snort out of Yugi, his partner’s features brightening slightly. Atem seized his opportunity to say the words that had been weighing so heavily on his tongue.

“Yugi, I know I can be a bit headstrong and insistent sometimes –”

“Understatement of the year.”

Atem winced. “I deserve that… and I am sorry. But I can sense something is off, and as your friend, I want to help, if I can.”

“Like I said before, I will be better once we are done with this case. I swear. Please, let this go.” The words this time were not said in protest, but with a gentle, almost defeated murmur.

 _Another evasion… he can be so difficult sometimes_. Atem fumed. Despite having several partners in the past, some of whom were objectively annoying, Atem could not understand why he was so bothered by his partner’s recent behavior. All of the other times he had faced something similar to this within a partnership, he would just let it roll off him. This time, however, it had become almost… personal? He certainly knew Yugi much better than any of his previous partners. He had become one of his dear friends. But even that did not seem to fully encompass or explain Atem’s current frustration.

_Why does this bother me so much?_

“But since we are on the topic of needing help, how are you doing? With the probation, and all.”

“Fine.” The word was clipped, Atem’s internalized frustration inadvertently bleeding through to colour his words.

“You know you can talk to me about this if you need to? I know it must be tough for you.”

“Ah Yugi, I’d rather not.”

“Why?”

“Maybe for the same reason why you don’t want to talk.” Atem deflected. It was a lie, but he needed Yugi to stop his press.

“And what's that supposed to mean?”

“You clearly don’t trust me for some reason.”

“Don’t trust you?” Yugi’s voice raised an octave, his face starting to go pink.

“Yes!”

“Well… well, how am I supposed to fully trust someone who is on AD Kaiba’s hit list, nearly got fired, and won’t tell me why?!”

Atem blinked. So there it is. Maybe Yugi was not so blind in his belief after all…

Yugi’s calm demeanour had fully broken now. Atem watched in silence as Yugi’s face turned a deep red, his whole body seeming to vibrate with every ragged breath he pulled in. Yugi was no longer laconic, the words now streaming from his mouth ran like water from a broken dam.

“You keep your cards so close to your chest, Atem. And I’ve tried to not ask you for answers and just be supportive. But after a while, you just want to know… so you can manage the situation. You know I had half a mind to ask the board why you were almost fired? But I didn’t out of respect for you. I… I just wish you could show me that same respect! I do not want to talk about my problems, ok? My problems are mine alone, and I definitely don’t want to talk to you about this right now because a part of my problem is _you!”_

The last word rang throughout the car, harsh and jarring. Atem sat in stunned silence, the blood in his veins turning ice cold. Beside him, Yugi breathed heavily as if he had just ran a marathon. His amethyst eyes remained fixated on the road beneath a furrowed brow.

_I’m a part of his problem?_

Atem did not say a single word. He knew whatever he said would just make the situation all the much worse. Instead, he turned away to settle a cheek against the cool passenger side window. He closed his eyes, focusing on the vibrations reverberate through his skull, hoping that they would drown out the hurt and confusion that was threatening to take over his mind.

Silence persisted.

* * *

Later that evening, Atem found himself alone in his room at the Pine Bluff Motel. Interestingly, the departmental budget had no longer been restricted and the FBI had released the funds that had been withheld the last time they stayed here so they could have separate rooms. Maybe the board had something to do with this? Atem had no clue.

When they had reached the motel, both agents went their separate ways without so much as a word. After a couple of hours flipping between his book and the drivel being broadcasted on the small, grainy TV, Atem finally caved and tried knocking on the door adjoining his and Yugi’s motel rooms. Unsurprisingly, there had been no answer. After their argument in the car, neither had said a word of substance to the other, and clearly, Yugi still had nothing to say to him now.

With a rough sigh, Atem reclined back onto his bed. Try as he may, his restless mind fell back upon a familiar topic as his thoughts drifted back to his partner.

 _Is he depressed? Is there something going on in his personal life?_ Atem had no clue. Although he knew a lot about his partner, there were some facets of Yugi’s life he was not privy to. _Maybe he’s fighting with a friend? Or maybe a girlfriend?_ Although for as long as Atem knew Yugi, he had never heard him mention a significant other. Surely it would have come up in conversation by now?

 _And me… how am_ I _a part of his problem?_ Atem’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the spackled ceiling, willing answers to appear. None came. After a few minutes stewing in his internal turmoil, Atem let out a frustrated groan. If he stayed in this motel room a moment longer, he was sure he would lose his mind. He needed some fresh air. Atem made a move for his coat and let his feet carry him towards the local bar about ten minutes away.

* * *

“Are my eyes deceiving me? Or did an Egyptian god just walk through my door?” a boisterous blonde called over from across the bar with a smirk.

“Mai Valentine. Good to see you again.” Atem greeted as the owner of the Kilt and Caber placed a coaster in front of him. As expected, her initial smirk was more fragile up close, and Atem knew why.

“You’re back here because of… Keith, aren’t you?”

Atem could see Mai’s façade start to break, and through those cracks her dismay and grief showed.

“I am very sorry for your loss.” Atem all but confirmed.

Mai sucked in a breath. “He was a little rough around the edges, but he did not deserve to be killed. He was our one full time bartender. I don’t know how I’m going to fill his shoes.”

Atem watched Mai carefully. Her reaction was exactly what Atem had expected it to be. Whatever grief or loss she was feeling had taken a back seat to a heavy dose of concern, most likely from having to find another person to fill the job on such short notice… but you just never know.

Mai quickly pulled herself together, reconstructing the façade of the welcoming bar owner as best as she could. “I know you’re probably here to interview me, and I am more than willing to tell you all about Keith, but could we do this tomorrow morning when I’m off shift? I have customers and we are running short staffed tonight and –”

Atem cut her off. “Certainly. We can talk tomorrow. Tonight, I’m just here for a drink. Merlot if you got it. Big.” Atem made a gesture with his hands, indicating he wanted a wine glass roughly the size of a punch bowl.

“Classy boy. Coming right up.” Mai said with a small, somewhat relieved chuckle.

A minute later Mai returned with wine in hand. As Atem took his first sip, Mai lingered on his periphery making a show to wipe down the bar.

“Drinking alone on a Monday.” She noted. “Your partner’s doing the same thing, you know?”

Atem looked up from his wine. “He is?”

Mai hummed, pointing across the bar to a man with characteristic hair absentmindedly swirling ice in a tumbler of amber liquid.

“You should have opened with that.” Atem sighed. “He probably saw me come in. Now I look like a jerk sitting alone over here.”

“I doubt he noticed. He’s kept to himself most of the night. I could barely get a word out of him. He looked like a guy who didn’t want to be bothered.”

Atem ran his forefinger around the rim of his glass in contemplation. “Yeah, I worry about him sometimes.”

“How sweet. I wish my coworkers gave a shit about me.”

“Well, when you work with someone day in and day out for as long as we have, you’re bound to develop some sort of a bond.” Atem muttered taking another hearty sip of his wine.

Mai looked at him thoughtfully. “Have you asked him what’s going on?”

“Of course, but every time I do, he shuts me out.” Atem said almost bitterly.

“You should keep trying. The guy’s usually such a ray of sunshine and seeing him like this breaks my heart… and something tells me that you can get through to him.”

“And why is that?”

“Whenever he’s here, he always speaks very highly of you.” Mai said with a small smile.

“Is that so?” Atem could not help but smile back.

“Yeah, he was here a couple of times when you were here for that murder a few months back.” Mai’s eyes darkened briefly. “You guys never figured out who killed Duke, did you?”

Atem avoided the question. “Really? He came here several times?”

“Yeah, he would come for a whiskey on the rocks, chat a bit with me or one of the customers, then leave. I’d ask him where you were, but he’d always say you were busy.” Mai elaborated. “I heard Keith was killed in the same way as Duke. You never answered my question…”

He was not going to. Atem had already stood up, wine in hand, as he started making his move around the bar. Calling over his shoulder, he put in another drink order.

“Is this seat taken?”

Yugi looked up from his nearly empty tumbler, his glassy eyes vaguely registering recognition in the dim lighting.

“Oh. Hi Atem. Sure, go ahead.” Yugi responded quietly, his attention now back on his drink.

After a few moments, Atem’s drink order arrived. With a wink from Mai, one whiskey on the rocks and two shots of tequila were deposited in front of them. Atem threw back one shot and slid the other along with the whiskey over to Yugi. Yugi made a vague refusal of the tequila but accepted the whiskey. Not wanting it to go to waste, Atem quickly downed the other shot.

Silence. The two men sat in an awkward and almost oppressive silence for minutes. Yugi occasionally looked up from his drink to Atem expectantly as if waiting for the crimson eyed man to start launching into a lengthy lecture or interrogation session. For once, Atem did not take the bait. He wanted to try a new tactic.

“So are we just going to sit in silence?” Yugi finally asked.

“Yes.” Atem said simply. “Seeing as we haven’t really said anything to each other since we left this morning, we might as well.”

“Feeling a bit childish are we?”

Atem did not dignify that with a response.

“Fine. Have it your way.” Yugi huffed. His lower lip protruded. At the sight, Atem’s frustration broke and he bit back a smile. He could not take his eyes away from his partner’s admittingly adorable lower lip.

“Are you… pouting?”

“Fuck you, Atem.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Upon the words leaving Atem’s mouth, several things happened almost in unison. Yugi’s eyes went wide before he devolved into a fit of laughter. Atem, on the other hand felt his face go unbearably hot. One hand waved Yugi off while his other hand went to grab his nearly empty wine glass.

“Ah damn. That was unprofessional. Well, I’m cutting myself off—” Atem finished his wine. “Now. Also shutting up.”

Yugi worked hard to catch his breath. “I just tee’d that one right up for you, didn’t I?”

There he was. A glimpse of the Yugi he first met. The Yugi that had become his partner and closest friend. Good natured. Jovial. Amethyst eyes glinting with an infectious joy as they caught and held his own. It was Atem’s turn to work to catch his breath.

“But yeah, when have we really been all that professional with each other? Honestly, you’re both my work partner and one of my best friends. Lines are bound to blur.” Yugi continued. Atem was momentarily elated to see that his partner’s icy demeanour had melted. But as quickly as it came, it left. That humour and levity was replaced by uncertainty. Yugi’s eyes surveyed Atem as if he was deep in internal conflict.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“I’m not alright. It’s just this case… Ah, you were right, this case has become personal. _Is_ personal. And I… don’t want to get thrown off it.” Yugi stumbled over his words.

“How so?” Atem asked gently.

Rifts started to show in the amethyst eyes in front of him. They diverted down towards the worn wooden bar as if to hide their vulnerability. It was all in vain. Atem had already saw.

“You know how there’s that rumour about me and my college days?”

“That you had a rough patch?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Yugi hefted a heavy sigh as he shifted to rest his forearms against the bar. His head dipped slightly as he slid into his thoughts. Atem felt compelled to say something but found himself struggling to find the right words. Something about seeing his partner in such a vulnerable state drew out a fierce protectiveness. He wanted to reach out and comfort him. Encircle him in his arms and reassure him that everything would be alright. His hand twitched where it lay against the bar.

Yugi turned his head slightly to look at Atem with distant eyes. “Someone I loved was murdered.”

Atem did not say a word.

“I met her when I was a freshman in college. Her name was Mana. She was beautiful, smart, and clever. How she ever chose to be with me I still have no idea.” Yugi recalled with a weak smile. “We dated for almost two years. One night in junior year, she went to a frat house party. In retrospect, I don’t really know why she went. She had said many times before that she was done with partying, but I thought little of it at the time. I was too busy trying to finish a coding assignment. The next morning, she was found just off campus behind a dive bar.”

“Oh Yugi…” Atem murmured. “I am so sorry.”

“But what really stays with me is the way she was found. She was killed in an identical manner to our victims.”

Atem’s eyes widened. “With the circular burn and marks on the neck?”

Yugi nodded. “They never found who did it. The police worked on it for a few months, but the case went cold. No one was able to solve it. There are still so many things I wish I knew about what happened that night. Things I likely never will.”

Yugi’s eyes diverted, but not before Atem saw that they were now swimming. Yugi made a frustrated noise and swiped at his face.

“I thought I could solve this… for her. But I keep failing. The killer keeps slipping through my fingers time and time again. I-I’ve failed the victims. I’ve failed… her.”

“Yugi…”

“I’m sorry Atem. I’m sorry I’ve been a bit… closed off, but I just didn’t want you to worry.” Yugi apologized. He was trying to regain a casual tone but was failing miserably. “It’s my burden to bear. And besides, you have enough on your plate as it is. I’m fine, I am… it just hurts sometimes, you know?”

What ever was holding Atem back broke. Before he could even realize what exactly he was doing, he gently laid his hand on Yugi’s forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze. Yugi stilled at the touch, his eyes a mixture of surprise and something unreadable. Something about Yugi’s gaze undid Atem and caused his nerves to fry. With a distracting hum, Atem quickly released his grip on his partner’s arm and clasped his hands carefully in front of him. A strange sensation took hold in Atem’s mind, causing his tongue to run.

“I cannot imagine what you must have gone through. Thank you for sharing this with me, and I’m sorry if I ever said or did anything that made things more difficult for you.” He said rather quickly as he glanced at Yugi briefly for a clue as to what was going on in his partner’s mind. Upon meeting his gaze, Yugi’s own quickly softened, amethyst eyes warming once again. A hand came to rest on top of his.

“There’s no need to apologize. And honestly, it’s been nice to have someone around who I know has my back. I am very lucky to have you as my partner.”

Atem’s pulse was nearly deafening in his ear, almost drowning out Yugi’s words. Many thoughts and questions were now swimming around in his mind, some coherent, most not. But there was one thought that rang out the loudest, unimpeded in its cry by any other thought or emotion; how it felt so right to have Yugi’s hand in his. How right it felt to be here with Yugi.

 _Be here with him?_ Atem pondered his own strange revelation. His feelings for the man in front of him were becoming more and more complex by the day. Joy and frustration. Fear and safety. Closeness and distance. Atem’s heart was in his throat, choking him as it beat at a dizzying pace. As his mind further went down this pathway and his eyes drifted around Yugi’s features in awe, his rational mind kicked into high gear. This would never work. One, he had baggage. Both of them did. Baggage they were still working through independently. If Yugi really knew about his, he feared Yugi would never see him the same way again. Two, Yugi mentioned he once had a girlfriend. Atem’s internal sigh morphed into a strangled groan. Three, Yugi was just a kind and beautiful soul. Every little moment they shared must have just stemmed from his partner’s inherent and innate kindness, not from a place beyond that.

_How the hell did this happen?_

“Uh, Atem?”

Atem snapped out of his thoughts abruptly and became aware of his surroundings. His hands were once again empty. Inquisitive violet eyes were on him, unknowingly stripping him bare.

“Oh, hah. Did I space out there for a bit? I think the alcohol has gotten the best of me tonight.” Atem deflected, punctuating his words with a chuckle for insurance. It did not work. Yugi’s gaze, if anything, became somewhat turbulent. “Is there something wrong, Yugi?”

After a moment, Yugi responded. “N-no. I’m alright. If you’re, uh, good then I’m good.”

“I am.” He was not.

“Good.” Yugi responded with a crooked smile. “I, uh, think the alcohol is hitting me too. I’m getting tired. Should we call it a night and head back to the motel?”

“Oh, yes. Good idea. While you call a cab, I will take care of the tab.”

Atem walked around the bar on weakened knees and unsteady feet towards the cash register. However, upon seeing Mai’s face shining with an excitement he did not want to place, he had begun to wonder if he should have just left some cash on the bar.

“Looks like you guys have made up.” Mai remarked amusedly.

Atem hummed absentmindedly as he fished out his wallet from his jacket pocket.

“I was watching you two over there. It looked like you had a moment.”

Atem blinked, looking up from where he had been struggling to extricate his credit card.

“You mean… you didn’t…” Mai responded in astonishment.

“Here.” Atem held out the card. Yeah, there had been a moment of sorts. A confusing and maddening moment. Not the sort of moment to celebrate. “My partner is just going through some personal difficulties and we talked… like you suggested.” Atem pointed out.

“But did you _talk?_ ”

“About what?” Atem deflected somewhat more awkwardly than he would have liked.

Mai made a noise that was vaguely reminiscent of a dog’s chew toy being strangled and turned to attend to the register.

Leaning against the bar, Atem rubbed the back of his neck. He knew exactly what she was talking about but he was not about to let her know that. He was still struggling to figure out exactly where he stood himself. His own feelings were confusing enough even in isolation of how Yugi may or may not be feeling.

 _May not._ Atem reminded himself, the ever so infuriating reality that even if this little alcohol fueled revelation proved to be more than a fleeting blip, it may be a moot point overall.

“Here you go, hun.” Mai offered a receipt with a small smile and a wink. “I hope you two have a good night.”

Atem mumbled his thanks and walked back towards the door where Yugi waited.

* * *

Back at the Pine Bluff Motel, Atem found himself once again losing the fight with the sticky lock to his room. After a few seconds of struggling, he felt a warm hand graze against his.

“Here, let me try.” A gentle response came from beside him. Atem pulled away, almost a little too fast.

Two tries by Yugi’s hand and the door opened.

“Finicky lock.” Yugi chuckled lightly with a little smile that made his heart skip a beat. Atem noticed that his partner’s cheeks were still a bit pink from the alcohol. Yugi held the door open for Atem before going through his own unlocked door.

Atem shed his jacket and boots without decorum, not even bothering to turn on a light. He fell down onto his bed with a rough sigh. He had drunk a little too much. Atem placed a hand over his eyes, cursing quietly at the world as it spun beyond his eyelids.

“Atem?” A muffled voice came from the adjoining room door.

“One second.” Atem called back, slowly getting up from the bed to unlock the door. Once the bolt had clicked, the door opened before he had a chance to reach for the knob. Yugi stood in the doorway, partially illuminated by the lamplight from his own room.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course.”

Yugi walked past Atem to sit heavily in the room’s sole wooden chair. Atem chose to sit across from him on the side of the bed.

Yugi seemed thoughtful for a second before finally addressing Atem. “I just wanted to say thanks for, uh, hearing me out. And not getting all… weird about it.”

 _That is up for debate_. Atem thought humourlessly. He kept his commentary to himself. “Do people tend to get… weird?”

“Yeah. People tend to get very worked up when they hear about Mana. And well, I’ve been having a rough time with it recently. The active case… her killer killing again. And I… we still haven’t stopped them. The ten-year anniversary of her death was a couple weeks ago and…” Yugi rattled off, eyes drifting upwards towards the ceiling briefly as if it held all of the answers he sought.

“Yugi… is this why you’ve been having trouble sleeping?”

His partner nodded. “I’m sorry, it all just… pulled me under. I should have told you sooner, but I felt… ashamed.”

“Ashamed? What for?” Atem was incredulous. “I’m the one who should be ashamed, pushing you like that. I’m sorry if I made things worse for you.”

A chuckle. “You were kind of being a pain in the ass.”

“I was, wasn’t I?”

Yugi hooked his fingers under the seat of the wooden chair, scooting it closer to Atem. Amethyst eyes bathed in moonlight sparkled just beyond his reach.

“But thanks for caring.”

Atem started into those eyes in silence, his foggy, inebriated brain frantically trying to process the situation. Before Atem could respond, the moment – if there ever was one – had passed. Yugi stood with a yawn, announcing that he was going to take a shower and that they should start their work bright and early tomorrow. He retired to his own room, leaving the adjoining door open in his wake. Atem stared after him as if he was frozen in time. Not a second after Atem heard the water start to run, he let out a small, shaky sigh as he fell back onto the bed, his hand coming to rest on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long or short. Good, bad or otherwise, comments are always appreciated!
> 
> The next chapter will be posted sooner than you think… and it contains one of my favourite scenes I’ve ever written. I’m so excited to share! Stay tuned.


	9. King of mind games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Printing, parties and poker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to my best boy, Yugi! And to celebrate, here's another 3 in 1 bulk posting! The plot thickens...

They poured over their new case for the next few days, spending the vast majority of their waking hours trying to make sense of it all. Their conversation at the bar by no means fixed Yugi's issues, but now that the lines of communication were back open, Atem and Yugi found themselves falling back into an easy rhythm as they started functioning as partners once again. Unfortunately, their success seemed to end there.

After they had completed their initial interviews, which included all of the suspects from Duke Devlin's case, they had very little to show for their work. The connections they formed between the two murders were unfortunately tenuous at best, and the suspects that had good motive for Duke Devlin's murder were harder to connect to Keith's. There had to be something that they were missing that linked these two murders. In their latest attempt to figure out this unknown link, the two agents set up shop in the sheriff's office to review the case and brainstorm where to go from here.

"Ok, lets start from the beginning." Yugi suggested, brow slightly furrowed in thought as he stared as his screen. "So Keith Howard, also known as 'Bandit Keith', was originally from Florida. He moved here some time ago because the biker gang he was in ran him out. Apparently there was some internal strife within the gang and he left for his 'own safety'. Or at least this is the story he told everyone here. I wonder what happened…"

Atem hummed absentmindedly from his seat across the conference room table.

"While living here in Canton, Keith worked at the Kilt and Caber as their full time bartender. He worked at the bar for the last five years. He was never employee of the month, but Mai said she trusted him well enough."

"Still, with the rap sheet that he had – assault, theft, break and enters, tax fraud – he could have very well have been stealing from the bar without her knowledge." Atem pointed out.

"I somehow doubt you could pull that on Mai, though. And she prides herself on hiring ex-felons, so I'm sure she's figured out ways to manage this."

Atem nodded his agreement. It is what he initially thought too, but with their lack of promising leads, everything was back on the table.

"Also, Bandit Keith was a pro duelist for a bit, but was banned from organized tournaments due to cheating."

"Yes, but that was not his only adverse run in with Pegasus and his company." Atem added. "A few years ago, he got into an altercation with Pegasus himself. They were discussing Keith's ban and apparently, he tried to take a swing at the CEO. There's even a restraining order…"

"But Pegasus swears that he has had no contact with Keith since that altercation. He doesn't even go the bar where Keith works whenever he visits Canton."

"That does not surprise me. The Kilt and Caber would not be his style." Atem chuckled. "Still, he may be lying about this. Maybe Keith was trying to get back into tournaments and Pegasus once again denied him?"

"But would Pegasus really kill someone because of that?"

"Maybe Keith was blackmailing him somehow to get leverage?" Atem offered.

"Maybe…" Yugi hummed, clearly not sold.

"We may need to talk to him again."

Yugi nodded mutely, his eyes returning to his screen.

"Then there's Ryou Bakura and Marik Ishtar. Their rap sheets show that they have been involved with many different nefarious people around here. Maybe they were working with Keith on something and things went sideways?" Yugi postulated.

"I would not put it past them."

As Yugi continued to summarize the information they had gathered about their second victim and threw out his hypotheses, Atem started paying less attention to the words reaching his ears, unfocused eyes remaining squarely upon his lively partner.

Atem had woken up the morning after their conversation, head full of recollections of what had gone on the night before. Yugi sharing his loss and his ongoing grief. Their heart-to-heart. But most notably, Atem's feelings. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) something had… persisted. Shifted. Grown. Atem simultaneously felt nervous and calm now in Yugi's presence. Focused, yet deviated.

And fucked. So fucked.

The setting sun shone through the slatted blinds, bathing Yugi in a warm amber glow, which only further accentuated his features. The line of his jaw. The gold of his bangs. The violet in his eyes. He looked almost ethereal.

With a couple of blinks and a shake of his head, Atem tried to dislodge the thoughts from his mind. Although wonderful, they were distracting. Frustrating. Hopeless… these thoughts and feelings were dangerous for a multitude of reasons and Atem knew he needed to stop. He needed to break out of his little infatuation, dig in his heels and stop this maddening slide once and for all.

But it was not _just_ a fleeting attraction…

If he was being honest with himself, the feelings he was experiencing, although just recently understood for what they were, had started forming quite some time ago. Maybe it was the rooftop? Their first time out in the Appalachians? Or maybe their first day? It did not matter in the grand scheme of things. What did matter is what he did from here.

He had made many mistakes in his life and he did not want to make this one of them.

_Or do I?_

"Hey Atem? Are you even listening?"

The person at the forefront of his thoughts was looking right at him, an inquisitive eyebrow raised in his direction.

"Uh, yeah Yugi. You were saying something about Rebecca?"

"Rebecca? No. She doesn't know Keith. Hmm, but you do bring up a good point. She was our top suspect for Duke Devlin's murder… but I guess she is now off the table unless we can find a connection between her and Keith."

 _That's right. Nothing seems to make sense._ Atem mused to himself, mind back on the case.

Their main suspects for Duke's murder were only loosely connected to Keith at best. There was whole separate pool of persons of interest. But the murder… it was identical to Duke's, and the four that had happened before it. So it had to be the same killer. But who?

Atem stood up suddenly from his chair and walked over to the whiteboard mounted on the wall. Grabbing the eraser, he wiped it clean.

"Uh, maybe we should have asked Sheriff Gardner if we could do that first…" Yugi interjected uneasily upon realizing what his partner was doing.

"No time for that, I've had a thought." Atem picked up the black marker and wrote the names of the suspects for both murders in two separate columns along the left side of the board.

|\

**DUKE:**

Rebecca

Tristan

Pegasus

Marik

Bakura

Ishizu

Piero Devlin

|/

**KEITH:**

Valon

Tristan

Pegasus

Marik

Bakura

Ishizu

Rafael

|\

Beneath the two columns, he wrote out the rest of the prominent figures around town that he knew that the victims had interacted with. Mayor Handford. Dr. White the pharmacist, Mai the bar owner, and the two other bartenders employed at the Kilt and Caber: Valon and Rafael.

Atem stood back for a moment to admire his handiwork.

"Maybe you should have let me do the writing, I can barely read it." Yugi grumbled from his seat at the table.

Atem huffed at his partner. "Maybe you should get up here and help if you can do better."

"Be careful what you wish for." Atem became acutely aware of Yugi's proximity as the other man appeared at his side, reaching around him to grab the red marker.

Yugi hummed in thought as he circled the names that repeated on both sides of the list. Five suspects in common. Tristan, Ryou, Marik, Pegasus, and Ishizu. And more peripherally, the pharmacist, bar owner, and the two other bartenders.

"Nine overlapping suspects…" Yugi murmured, brow furrowing in thought.

"Who has the most convincing motive?"

"Pegasus maybe? He employed Devlin and Keith used to duel in his Duel Monsters leagues for years. I guess I can see why he could go after both Devlin and Keith. However, Keith's cheating was several years ago…"

"What about Ishizu? She is strange and Mai said that both victims were seen talking with her at the bar on many occasions."

"Mai… and the bartenders. Everyone seems to frequent that bar around here… it could be any of them too."

Atem rubbed at the back of his head in vexation. The more he thought about this case, the more confused he became.

"Oh! You two are still around?" Sheriff Gardner poked her head through the door to address the two agents.

"Did you need us to leave?" Atem inquired.

"Oh no, you two stay here as long as you like! I was just wondering if you were going to make it out to Pegasus' Christmas party tonight?"

Yugi's eyes went wide, but his partner was the first to speak. "What party?"

"What do you mean 'what party'? The one everyone has been talking about! He hosts it here every year and invites the entire town and some of his rich friends from all over!"

"Why host it here and not back in California?" Yugi frowned.

"I guess we get white Christmases out here? Pegasus has also taken a real liking to our small town in the past decade. He says he loves the peace and quiet out there." Sheriff Gardner said with a laugh.

 _It is peaceful, except for the murders…_ Atem thought.

Yugi scratched his head thoughtfully. "This may be a good way to gather some more information on Pegasus, at least."

"And perhaps a few of our other suspects may be there…" Atem continued the thought, catching Yugi's eye.

"Well, it's settled then." Yugi said with a small smile. "We will see you there tonight, Tea."

"Wonderful! It starts at 8 pm. I will make sure that you can enter without any issues!" A jovial smile lit up her face. The two agents were then left to their own devices in the work room. Yugi looked at his watch.

"We should probably head back to the motel, I don't think we are really dressed for this." Yugi made a vague gesture at Atem's half tucked red dress shirt, sleeves haphazardly rolled up to his elbows.

Atem stuck a hand back at Yugi's navy cable knit sweater. "At least I wore a collar today."

Yugi shook his head, walking over to his bag and muttered a good natured "Shut up."

* * *

Atem inspected himself in his motel room's bathroom mirror. Thankfully, he always packed at least one proper suit when he went on field missions. He was just tightening his tie when he heard his name called out from the other room.

"One second." Atem finished his adjustments and ran a hand through his hair. A small smile quirked at his lips. This would do nicely.

Atem walked through the adjoining door and saw Yugi standing in the middle of his room. His midnight navy suit beautifully complimented the mulberry-colored dress shirt underneath. He held out two bowties, one in each hand.

"Which one do you prefer?"

Atem walked over to inspect the ties, one lavender, one white.

"The purple one."

"Me too." Yugi's eyes drifted up the ties to Atem's face briefly. With a grateful smile, Yugi walked by and into the bathroom.

Atem fidgeted with his cufflinks while awaiting his partner's return. Soon enough, Yugi exited the bathroom, tie now tied. "How do I look?"

Atem felt a flush creep up his neck. His partner's slim cut suit fit him perfectly and the colour of his bowtie further highlighting the violet in his eyes. His thoughts started sputtering out of control as he remained transfixed. He became aware that the beat of silence stretched out too long at the end of Yugi's question, Atem replied with all his brain could muster: a singular, somewhat wooden "Good."

Yugi huffed playfully. "Not the rave review I was expecting, but I will take it."

Yugi walked by Atem to grab his coat, but he was momentarily impeded by a hand on his wrist, spinning him back around.

Atem tutted gently as he reached out without thinking to adjust Yugi's slightly askew bowtie. A gentle adjustment left the tie resting perfectly. "There. Now you look great."

Their faces were mere inches apart, surprised amethyst locked on crimson. The breathless chuckle that came from the lips of his partner made Atem's heart flutter.

"Ahh, thanks Atem. We had better get going. We've got work to do."

* * *

The mansion loomed. Spots of the lawn along the main driveway were illuminated by lights peeking out through the snow. The building itself appeared around the bend like a vision of Christmas come to life. Lights adorned every eavesdrop and edge. Light up lawn ornaments were scattered around as if protecting the place with their radiance.

It was over the top.

Yugi parked the car along the drive and the two men made their way towards the entrance. Once there, the were greeted by a familiar yet unnerving face.

"Oh, you two again." Said the spiky haired guard who had kicked them out the first time they were here. "I was told that you are guests of Sheriff Gardner, correct?"

Yugi nodded an affirmative and the guard let them pass.

The inside of the mansion was decorated just as extravagantly as its outside was. Maximillian Pegasus sure seemed to love Christmas. Atem stopped to inspect a somewhat peculiar looking nutcracker that was almost as tall as he was. This piece looked to be inspired by the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. After a moment, he felt a tap on the shoulder and a steaming mug came into his line of sight.

"There's a fully stocked bar down that hallway. I grabbed you something called a spiced apple magician girl."

"Thanks, Yugi."

"How about we divide and conquer? We can meet up in a half hour or so to discuss?"

"Alright."

Atem spent the next twenty minutes circulating and trying to talk with some of the party guests. As Sheriff Gardner had said, a lot of their persons of interest were at this party. In fact, Atem guessed that the better part of the town had shown up. Atem had seen Ryou and Marik outside on the balcony having a smoke break. They did not seem too keen to talk to him as he passed by. Ishizu was off in the corner chatting with a slightly bewildered looking Tristan and his fiancée Serenity. The one notable absence was the party's own host.

 _Where is he? One would think he would be keen to entertain his guests._ Atem though to himself as he walked down one of the many hallways, glancing into rooms in an attempt to pin down Pegasus. He was still having no luck. He though he might as well go find the bar. Atem absentmindedly walked into a room near the end of a long hallway in his hunt to find the bar that Yugi said was down this hallway. When he stepped into the doorway, multiple sets of eyes met his.

This was the library that Atem and Yugi had sat in when they first came to interview Pegasus. Just like before, the man himself was positioned front and center in the room. The reading chairs had been moved off to the sides to make space for a green velvet poker table. Five people sat around the table, cards dealt next to chips organized in neat stacks. Others people watched along the periphery.

"Oh, hello there Agent Sennen! I had heard you two fine agents were going to make an appearance!" came the singsong flamboyant voice of the CEO. "Welcome to my Christmas extravaganza!"

"Ah, Thank you Mr. Pegasus for your hospitality." Atem greeted formally, unsure of how to proceed. "I, uh…"

A voice from behind him made him lose his train of thought. "I finally found you! You wouldn't guess what… oh." Yugi's excited cadence dropped as he assumed his formal business tone, appearing from behind Atem to the expectant eyes of the poker players. "My apologies for the intrusion, Mr. Pegasus."

"It's not an intrusion at all! How about you gentlemen come and sit down for a bit? We could use some fresh blood for our little game of Texas Hold 'em." Pegasus practically purred.

"Oh, we couldn't…"

"I insist! One thousand dollar buy in. I hope that's not too rich for your blood."

That was rich. The government did not pay well enough for that and their expense account definitely would not reimburse them for this. Atem turned to look at his partner, mouth opening to once again refuse, but seeing that twinkle in Yugi's eye directed right at him – daring and challenging – was too much to ignore.

"Alright, but I don't either of us have enough cash on us…" Atem started.

"It's no bother. We know where you work." Pegasus said almost ominously.

Yugi strode past Atem to take a seat at the table. Atem followed closely behind.

They stayed at that table for over two hours. Two of Pegasus' guests played loose and fast and were out before the first hour was up. Atem found that his usual tactic of amassing chips through wild bluffs and calls worked well amongst this crowd.

Well, on all but one.

"Two pair." Yugi announced with a smile, revealing his cards. Yugi had beaten him again, but thankfully not for too many chips.

Across the table, a dejected sigh escaped from a woman's lips. She ran her hand through her short brown hair to push it out of her eyes. She had just been cleaned out.

"I guess there will not be a repeat of your victory last year, doctor. But it was a pleasure as always!" Pegasus consoled.

The woman in question nodded as she stood from the table. Her blue eyes fell upon the two agents and sparkled mirthfully. "You better invite these two agents next year. I want to win my money back."

Now that there were only three people at the table, his partner had moved from his side to sit across from him. It was probably for the best, because maybe with this new vantage point Atem could start to figure him out. Yugi was the only person at the table who did not seem to fall easily for Atem's tactics. Yugi played with his cards close to his chest and with a sense of focus that Atem had rarely seen in an opponent. Every move was thought out carefully yet executed with a sense of ease and self-assurance that put Atem on edge. He undeniably played poker like he played Duel Monsters.

Atem looked down. He had approximately six thousand dollars in chips. To his eye, Yugi had roughly double that.

The cards were dealt. His hand held the ace of spades and the seven of spades. Not a great start, but it could have been worse. Buy ins were made.

One card was burned. Three cards were laid on the table. Ace of clubs. Four of spades. Queen of spades.

_A pair. Not bad, but not a runaway either._

Atem's eyes drifted up. Pegasus looked vaguely gleeful. A little too much so. _His hand must be terrible._ Atem had picked up on the silver haired man's paradoxical tell within twenty minutes of buying in. Yugi, on the other hand, looked blank. Totally blank. His eyes were on his chips, silent and calculating. His two dealt cards were in a neat pile in front of him, one on top of the other.

"One thousand." Atem started off the betting with a heavy hand to test the waters.

Pegasus blandly called his bet of one thousand. Atem watched on as Yugi looked at his cards again in an almost lazy contemplation. The index finger of his other hand traced a fine circle in the felt.

The cards were replaced in their neat pile and Yugi's eyes meet his. Atem felt his heart rate increase under Yugi's searching stare. But he would not break their eye contact. He wanted Yugi to bite.

"Raise to two thousand." Even and sure from the amethyst eyed man.

"Call." Atem willed his voice steady as Yugi continued to look right at him. Atem cursed as he felt a familiar heat start in his ears. He hoped Yugi did not notice.

To Atem's chagrin, Yugi _had_ seen something.

The corners of Yugi's mouth twitched. A small spark, playful yet dangerous seemed to dance behind his pupils. Atem cursed internally.

"Call." Announced the forgotten third party.

Burn. Next card. Ace of diamonds.

 _Three of a kind._ _This is going somewhere._ Atem mused, considering his options. He would have to play this carefully. He tapped on the table to signal his check.

"Oh come on, you must bet! Don't start getting cautious on me now, Agent Sennen." Pegasus chided playfully. "All in."

Although the gesture was grand, only a thousand more dollars was added to the pot. Atem fought a grimace. He was nearly certain that Pegasus was bluffing, but if he was wrong, this could leave him well behind. Atem glanced towards the president of Industrial Illusions, but his focus was quickly diverted by the voice of his partner.

"Raise to three thousand." Yugi said, leaning ever so slightly forward on his elbows. The unspoken dare was evident in his voice. The heat started to spread from his ears towards his cheeks.

If he called, that would be all he has. He would be all in. Atem knew he had Pegasus beat, but Yugi…

As if privy to Atem's internal thoughts, a small damning smirk formed on Yugi's face. Yugi leaned forward even more, propping his face in the palm of his hand.

"So, what will it be, Atem?" Yugi said slowly, his voice slipping a little lower than usual. His mouth fell open ever so slightly. His eyes…

_What is he…_

Yugi's eyes made a pass, gradually moving down from Atem's face to his chest and back up. Slowly. Methodically. Savouring. As if he was…

…undressing him?

 _Is he flirting with me?_ Atem's mind descended into an alarmed yet almost blissful befuddlement. _He is not… is he?_ His confusion gave way to a burst of horror as Atem became aware of blood starting to go everywhere where it should not. His face felt like it was on fire, and his attempt to suppress shifting in his seat was an embarrassing failure. He sucked in an audible breath through his nose.

_Quick, do something!_

Hastily masking his own reaction as best as he could with a well practiced bravado, Atem leaned in with an overconfident smirk and roughly shoved the remainder of his chips towards the center of the table. However, the second the chips left his palm a wave of regret washed over him. He was used to, and in fact relished in, making calculated bluffs. But he rarely made a thoughtless or rash decision when it came to card games. _Why did I did I let myself do this?_

Yugi sat back in his chair, delightfully smug and assured. He quietly signalled to the dealer to give the last card.

Burn. Ten of spades.

 _A flush!_ _Even better than a three of a kind._ Atem's dread at his impulsive move started to fade. It worked out in his favour.

Pegasus tossed his cards aside as he made a noise. He only had a pair of queens.

With a growing smirk Atem laid his two cards out for Yugi to see.

"Good try, _aibou."_ Atem chuckled.

"I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."

Yugi flipped over his two cards. Ace of hearts. Ten of hearts. He had a full house, a better hand than a flush.

Atem's eyes went wide in shock as he watched his partner reach into the center of the table to claim his winnings. The game was over. He and Pegasus were out. Yugi looked up from the pile to briefly to shoot Atem a mischievous wink.

Atem groaned audibly as his body further betrayed him.

"Good show Agent Muto!" Pegasus clapped politely. "You had me good there!"

"It was a good game." Yugi agreed.

"And now for the matter of your winnings…" Pegasus gestured to a butler to approach.

"N-no. I can't accept any of this." Yugi stammered in surprise.

"Oh nonsense! You won this all fair and square. I insist!"

Yugi continued to refuse, laughing nervously. A cheque was signed and thrust into the agent's flailing hand.

"Oh, and you owe him your buy in." Pegasus nodded towards Atem.

Yugi assured Pegasus that he would collect from Atem, and with a quick goodbye, he ushered his partner out of the room.

"Ahh, that was fun, wasn't it Atem?" Yugi said brightly, inspecting the cheque briefly before shoving it in his pants pocket as they walked down the hall back toward the milling crowds of the party.

"Yes, it was. You were commendable in there."

"Thanks. You were great in there yourself!" Despite Yugi's congratulatory response, Atem could not help but pick up on the undercurrent of unease beneath Yugi's words.

Atem was feeling a form of unease himself. What was Yugi trying to do back there? Atem's face grew warm at the recollection, but he quickly shook it off. Was it all just to win a game? Like a true competitor who exploits their opponent's weaknesses with out a second thought? Or was it…

"Hey Atem?"

Atem realized that his partner's presence had left his side. He turned to look back. Yugi had stopped in the hallway and was staring at Atem with a sheepish, lopsided grin.

"I, ah, wanted to apologize for how I was in there. I got a bit caught up in the game." Yugi started to fidget, his face going pink. "I'm sorry for making you… uncomfortable."

Atem stood still. He had all but resigned himself to the notion that Yugi was just trying to press buttons. He knew better than anyone that if you could make someone uncomfortable in a bluffing game that they could make thoughtless errors. It was a great tactic and he would have respected it wholeheartedly if anyone else had used it on him. But the selfish part of Atem wished Yugi would not tease him like this. He hated how hopeless it made him feel. How he would never actually…

"It's alright, Yugi." Was all Atem trusted himself to say.

Yugi lingered quietly just beyond his grasp, his eyes oddly straining to meet his. He knew his partner well enough to know when he was struggling. And he was struggling _hard._ Atem watched in guarded confusion as Yugi's mouth continued to open and shut around silent words as if two forces were duelling for control. He had never seen Yugi like this before. Was he getting more pink? Atem's eyes searched his partner's face for a sign. What is going on…

"Is there… something else?" Atem murmured, cursing his now palpitating heart while trying to smother his foolish hopes.

"I –"

A piercing scream from the front hall broke the tension.

The two agents furrowed their brows simultaneously as their moment broke, heads whipping in the direction of the noise. This would have to wait. Without another word they took off.

A pit formed in Atem's stomach as he and Yugi pushed through the crowd that had gathered around the screaming woman in the gathering space. Just as their heads poked through, the screaming resumed.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" screamed Rebecca, an accusatory finger pointed at Tristan. The accused stood dumbfounded, incomprehensible noises escaping his mouth.

"I… I…" Tristan sputtered.

"Why don't you just admit it?!" Rebecca continued on her rampage. "I heard the federal agents are here and… YOU!"

The finger swung wildly towards the two tricolour haired men as they appeared within the crowd. "Arrest him you two! He killed my Dukey!"

"Can you please lower your –" Atem started.

"I will do no such thing! This man was clearly jealous of our relationship. I'm sure he's got his sights on me next!"

Atem stared on in sheer disbelief as the curious murmurs grew around him.

"Rebecca for the last time, he was my best friend. I wasn't trying to steal him from you. You were making him uncomfortable and I was trying to help him."

"Help him by what? Saying all of those mean things about me?! Like I'm a stalker or something. WHICH I AM NOT!"

 _Tristan knew about the Rebecca situation but did not tell us…_ Atem noted.

"I never said you were, but he was done with you, Rebecca! Why can't you understand this?! And how do we know you're not the killer?" Tristan responded lowly.

"Me? Kill him?! I _loved_ him!" Shrill and insistent.

"Yeah, but maybe since you couldn't have him, you killed him!" Tristan shot back.

"Alright, alright!" Yugi yelled from beside Atem, stepping into the circle. The odd nervous energy that had previously enshrouded Yugi was shed as he slipped into work mode. The man now bore an authoritative air that superseded his short stature and commanded all of the eyes in the room.

"Can we all please take a breath?" Yugi asked. "I'd hate to have to take this back to the station."

The parties involved settled slightly but continued their mutual glowering.

"Now… one at a time… does anyone have anything they want to say –" Yugi held up a hand to suppress the false start. "Something that is not just hearsay?"

Tristan's mouth closed with a snap as his fiancée placed a hand on his arm. But it did not stay closed for long.

"You want something that is not hearsay? Why don't you go find Marik and Ryou! Those bastards are probably involved." Tristan barked.

"What are you referring to?"

"They are always up to no good. I'm sure you've seen their rap sheets! Oh, and don't go being fooled by Ryou. He may have only been found guilty once, but he is just as dirty as Marik, if not more."

"How are they involved?"

"Well, from what I've heard, Duke was in a lot of debt and owed someone big time. He was planning on stealing some rich schmuck's expensive art and jewelry to get the money. He said he had picked out the target and had cased the place out and everything. All he needed was some extra hands. He went looking to Ryou and Marik for help because they had done this before. He even tried to rope me into it, but I refused. I've never done anything illegal in my life!"

"Do you know who he was targeting? Or what he was going to steal?"

"No clue! I shut him down before he could tell my any of the details!"

"Do you have any evidence that Ryou and Marik were involved?" Atem pressed.

"No, but if you could look at their phones, I'm sure you'd find plenty. Assuming they didn't already delete those texts." Tristan muttered.

"Where are Ryou and Marik, anyways?" Yugi asked. A new, yet familiar voice rose to answer his question.

"They are no longer here. They left some time ago." A voice said from the crowd.

A woman in a long white dress emerged from the crowd to enter the circle. Her limbs were adorned in golden jewelry, with a distinctive golden necklace once again around her neck. Her dark hair was loosely braided and draped over her shoulder.

 _Ishizu, the woman on the side of the road._ Atem thought. _What is she doing here?_

"Oh would you stop it, you crank!" Rebecca cried out. "No one believes your gibberish."

"I only speak of what I see, and what I see is that many fingers are being pointed at others when they should be pointed at ourselves."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Tristan exploded.

"You are just as psychotic as your brother!" Rebecca seethed.

"Brother?"

"Yeah, Marik. Her baby brother." Tristan responded. "Maybe you should be giving _your brother_ this advice because he is as shady as they come."

"My brother is troubled, but he would never resort to such violence."

"He's basically checked everything else off the crime bucket list." Tristan retorted. "What makes you think he hasn't actually murdered?"

"I would have seen it." A delicate hand touched the Eye of Horus around her neck.

Exasperated and indignant cries filed the room. As the conversation started to devolve into an outright shouting match once again, Atem knew it was about time they wrapped this up. The chances of important and accurate information coming to light amongst the ongoing chaos was slim.

It took the better part of twenty minutes for Atem and Yugi to settle and disperse the ravenous crowd. Thankfully, the guests eventually quieted down and their threat of taking people down to the station never had to be enacted. Atem and Yugi lingered at the party for the next hour or so while guests started to make their ways home. Their conversations only further added to the headache Atem was developing. Everyone had an opinion, but no one had any tangible leads that they could follow. Exhausted and now mildly irritable, Atem sat down on one of the plush chairs in the main foyer to collect his thoughts. He took out his phone to jot down some brief notes.

Rebecca pointed the finger at Tristan citing jealousy.

Tristan pointed the finger at Rebecca also citing jealousy.

Tristan also brought up the names of Marik and Ryou citing shady dealings and some heist plot they may or may not have been involved in.

Ishizu pointed the finger at everyone.

Tristan and Rebecca pointed the finger at Ishizu citing weirdness and 'psychopathy'.

Pegasus was not a part of the blow up, but he had Pegasus had pointed the finger in the past at Marik citing his criminal history and Ryou Bakura citing anger issues.

During their initial interview, Marik pointed the finger at Pegasus citing work tensions that Duke ranted about over drinks several times.

Ryou refused to speculate. He claimed to be at a loss.

_Some of these motives make sense. Others are grasping at straws at best. If only we could get something more of substance –_

"Hello there, hot stuff." A female voice broke Atem out of his thoughts.

Atem blinked twice in confusion and quickly closing his secure notes app. A familiar blonde had taken a seat in the chair next to him, legs crossed under her tight black dress.

"Writing a love letter?" She teased. Atem fought against a rising blush at her obvious connotation.

"No, official government business." Atem deflected before quickly changing the topic. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, the party is dying down and I've already seen the good bit. I can't believe that they actually went at it in front of everyone! So much dirty laundry aired. Some people have no poise." She sniffed, placing her purse in her lap.

Atem nodded once thoughtfully. A question came to him. It may be a shot in the dark, but he might as well ask. "Do you have any theories as to who did it?"

"Me? I don't know, they all seem guilty to me in one way or another." Mai shrugged as she fished around in her cluttered purse. "But my money's on Rebecca. Jealousy can drive someone mad. Although how she would know Keith is beyond me."

"Ah."

Mai rooted amongst her shed golden jewelry and makeup to find the lipstick she was looking for. Atem watched as she applied a fresh coat of the deep burgundy shade.

"But onto another interesting topic, did you ever get to speak with your partner?" Her eyes were no longer teasing, but instead conveyed a quiet interest.

Atem was reminded of the hallway. He remembered Yugi standing in front of him, floundering and flustered. Why was he flustered? He so desperately wanted to know what he was about to say.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Atem deflected again.

Despite this, Mai continued on as if he had answered her question truthfully for once. "Why haven't you?"

Atem was saved by Mai's ringtone.

She answered, and with a quick assurance she hung up.

"Saved by the bell, Agent. That was my cab. Come by the bar if you ever want to talk." She threw Atem a wink and made for the door, her stilettos clicking on the marble tile.

Hefting a heavy sigh, Atem settled back into his chair. Although he knew the question came from a place of genuine interest and desire to help, he wished that she would just leave him be. This was between him and Yugi.

_Yugi…_

"Hey Atem."

"Oh, hi." The mildly jarred greeting came a little too quickly.

"I saw Mai just left." Yugi commented as he sat down in the chair Mai had just occupied. Yugi looked as tired as Atem felt. "Did she have anything interesting to say?"

"No. She just echoed the general sentiment that Rebecca is our culprit."

"That's a shame." Yugi shook his head. "I do have something, though. Before we got caught up in the poker game, I figured something out about our cases."

Atem arched an inquisitive brow, prompting his partner to proceed.

"I guess your suspicions were right, Duke Devlin was not squeaky clean after all. Just like Tristan was saying, Ryou Bakura confirmed that Duke tried to recruit him to do some break and enters the week before his murder. Duke apparently also said that Bandit Keith was helping him out."

"Oh really? That's the missing link…"

"Yeah, I think Ryou only gave it up because he was a bit tipsy." Yugi chuckled. "He confirmed everything Tristan said. Apparently Duke and Keith had their eyes on a target that would, and I quote 'make them filthy rich' and wanted to tap into Ryou's expertise from the old days."

 _Well that is very interesting._ The more he thought about it, the more Atem became suspicious that Duke's murder was connected to a crime he committed, or was about to commit.

"Do you know who his target was?"

"Ryou said he had never gotten that far in the conversation. He shut him down after realizing that it would involve theft."

Atem shoved his hands in his pockets and started musing aloud. "Well, the obvious target is Pegasus. He has some very expensive pieces of art on display and who knows what things of value he has hidden beyond the common areas."

"I was thinking that too. There's also the Millennium Items. Those have been known to fetch a lot at auctions in the black market according to what I've read."

Atem nodded his agreement. That would bring the potential targets up to three: Pegasus, Marik, and Ishizu. Bakura himself also has one of the artifacts, but Atem doubted that Duke has the wherewithal to set up a fake ruse just to steal his friend's item. Or would he?

"I guess he never went through with it. No one reported any stolen goods."

"No…" Yugi's brow furrowed in thought. "Or maybe he never had the chance to…"

The two fell into their own thoughts. Whomever would have been Duke's intended target could potentially be the killer if they had caught wind of the plan. Maybe Duke did, in fact, reach out to Marik as well? Although they would not be able to confirm this tonight. According to his sister, Marik had left the party shortly after arriving. They would have to track him down tomorrow.

Despite his interest in Yugi's newly uncovered information, Atem found his mind wandering back to his partner and that hallway. He debated restarting that conversation, but upon seeing his partner's poorly stifled yawn as he typed out a note onto his phone, he pushed back against the impulse. Whatever Yugi was struggling to say in that hallway would have to wait. They had a more pressing matter at hand.

With this new information, Atem could sense this case was about to break wide open.


	10. Conspiracies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thefts, tapes and tension.

A ringtone, much too lively for this time of night, startled Atem out of his restless sleep. His hand fumbled on the nightstand in search of his phone. Through bleary eyes, he looked at the caller ID: Yugi Muto.

"You know you could have just banged on the door." Atem grumbled as a greeting.

"I did. You sleep like the dead, Atem." A teasing voice sounded from the receiver. "We've got a break."

 _A break…_ Atem's residual grogginess was quickly shed. "What? Hang on. I'm coming over."

Atem threw on the closest shirt and the pair of dress pants he had haphazardly discarded the night before and joined Yugi in his room. His partner's rumpled shirt told the same tale of a hasty dressing.

"What happened?"

"There was a theft at Pegasus' residence last night. He called it into the Sheriff's office 45 minutes ago." Yugi started, the excited stars in his eyes inciting a similar excitement in Atem.

"What was stolen?"

"A priceless artifact." The stars grew to supernovas. "The Millennium Eye."

"The Millennium Eye? He has one of those too?"

"Yes. He said he kept it hidden away in his locked office, but the office was broken into last night."

Atem blinked. "First Duke teams up with Keith and tries to rope Bakura into stealing with him again. Now something of exuberant value is stolen from the richest transient resident of Canton. Could this all be related?" Atem mused.

"I don't know, but given he's a suspect, this may be worth our time to investigate." Yugi said, standing up from the foot of the bed where he was previously perched. "I'm going to go get ready and you should probably do the same. Red's your colour, but the wrinkles are a hard sell."

Atem rolled his eyes with a huff and retreated into his own room.

* * *

"Was there any damage to the lock?" Yugi inquired. A steaming mug of café au lait sat by his elbow, resting atop the bare stainless steel table of the interview room. Atem sat next to his other elbow quietly, taking a more observatory role as they interviewed the president of Industrial Illusions regarding the recent theft.

"There was no damage! It was like they had the key! But when I checked this morning, the head of security had his keys and mine are still safely on my person." The silver haired man all but cried.

"Did you take anyone back there during the party?"

"No."

"Was there anything else taken?"

"Surprisingly no. There's numerous other pieces of art and artifacts in that room that would generate a pretty penny at an auction. Also, there is at least ten thousand dollars of cash in the safe. The safe was opened, but not a single dollar was taken…"

Up to this point, their working motive was that the thief took the eye for financial gain. However, this hypothesis was slowly falling apart. If that was truly the case, why did they not take the cash as well?

"Who all has the code to the safe?"

"Just me, my head of security and my lawyer, should anything unfortunate ever happen to me." Pegasus made a face.

"Do you know of anyone who wanted the item from you? Maybe someone offered to buy it in the past?"

"Well, a lot of artifact dealers and art collectors want their hands on it, but I have never entertained the idea. There's a rumour that the Millennium Eye has some sort of mystical power, and although farfetched, I have never thought of parting with it."

"Do you have the names of those people wanting to buy it off you?"

"Well, yes, but none of them live around here. They are all back in California."

"Any of them fly in for the party last night?" Atem finally spoke.

"No."

"Do you have any security cameras covering your office and the hallway?"

"Now that you mention it, I do have one inside my office! I will get some one to bring it to you. However did I forget about this?" Pegasus thought aloud.

"That would be very helpful. Do you have a full guest list of who attended the party last night?" Yugi took the reigns again.

"Yes, my secretary can give that to you."

Yugi nodded a quick 'thanks' and looked expectedly towards Atem.

"Anything else that you can think of that may help us track down who did this?" Atem asked.

"I honestly have no clue, gentlemen." The card game enterprise president sighed dejectedly.

"Leave this in our hands, we will figure it out." Atem assured.

And with that they let him go.

"I don't know, there's something about him that seems… off." Yugi started.

"I agree, but I can't place my finger on it." Atem rubbed the back of his head in frustration.

The security camera footage may take a few hours to obtain, but when they got it, it could shed some much needed light o the situation. For now, though, they had to approach this the old fashioned way. Atem rested his elbows against the table, put his head in his hands and closed his eyes, devoting his full attention to the thoughts tumbling around in his mind. It logically had to be someone at the party. The theft would have had to occur when Pegasus would have otherwise been preoccupied. Maybe when he was playing poker? It would have been easy to sneak under Pegasus' radar then. However, the matter of knowing the safe combination is another enigma in itself. Either they had a master safecracker on their hands or Pegasus was looser with the combination than he admits to. Or…

_Maybe its all a ruse?_

Pegasus could have staged the theft to commit insurance fraud. Atem honestly would not be surprised. The President of Industrial Illusions did not give the impression of being completely above board or above such tactics.

Atem felt a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to raise his vision from his palms back to his partner.

"I can tell you're hard at work there, but while we wait for the footage, we still have a large line of Pegasus' staff to interview." Yugi's less than enthused voice broke him back to reality.

It turned out to be one of the most tedious and mindless days Atem had experienced in recent memory. Even his usually enthusiastic partner seemed to be burning a short fuse by late morning. That afternoon, the agents were able to finally speak to Pegasus' Head of Security.

"Thank you for coming in today, we appreciate your cooperation." Yugi started for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "We have asked for this meeting to discuss a theft that occurred last night on Maximillian Pegasus' property."

"Oh yes, I think the piece was called the Millennium Eye." Kemo responded. "Do you guys have any leads yet?"

"We are still collecting relevant information." Yugi dismissed. "We were told that you hold both the key to Pegasus' private office and the code to his safe."

"Yes, I do. As Head of Security it is important that I have access to those areas." Kemo said almost haughtily.

"Do you still have the key with you?"

With a grunt, Kemo produced a ring of keys from his pants pocket and held up one for the agents to see.

"And what about the code to the safe?"

"I don't actually have that, but I do have this little key that overrides the electronic lock." Kemo held up another key for inspection.

"And you are sure you had both on you last night?" Atem pressed.

"I am certain, Special Agent. I take my job very seriously." The words were said warily.

"Where do you put the keys when you are off duty?"

"I take them home with me. I put them in my own safe."

"And no one else has access to that safe?"

"No one."

Atem narrowed his eyes briefly at the Head of Security. He could see the tension the man was trying to hide betrayed by his unnaturally stiff posture. _Why is he tense?_

The remainder of their questions bore no fruit and they let the Head of Security go. Finally, they had finished interviewing the portion of Pegasus' staff that potentially had the means or motives to steal the item. The agents had once again set up camp in the conference room as they waited for one of the Sheriff's deputies to finish combing through the newly procured security footage. The few staff that did have access to the area where the Millennium Eye was being stored checked out initially. They did not have the means or the motives to steal an ancient Egyptian artifact while leaving thousands of dollars of cash untouched.

The case for insurance fraud was becoming more and more promising to both Atem and Yugi during their debriefing.

"So if I were Pegasus and I stole my own asset to sell on the black market, how would I do it?" Yugi threw the question at Atem.

"I'd hire one of my trusted confidants to make the sell." Atem responded easily.

"You'd need someone no one would expect." Yugi postulated. "Just in case your plan backfires."

"And someone who you could easily distance yourself from."

A rough and exacerbated sigh escaped Yugi's lips. "But who? Maybe Kemo? He did seem really uncomfortable when we interviewed him… he could have been lying."

Atem ran a hand through his hair. If this theft was indeed related to their murder cases, then nothing seemed to add up. There were more loose ends than fibers in a tapestry and every time they captured one, ten more fell lose. Could this all be coincidental? Were they just wasting their time? Or did this all tie together? He usually thrived on a challenge, but this time he just wanted answers and none were coming to him.

Atem regarded his partner, who was sitting in an almost comical similar state, a fuming stare transfixed out the window as if the trees would bequeath him with an epiphany. The sun was starting to set from beyond the trees, glinting gold off Yugi's watch.

Gold.

Where had he seen gold?

Something clawed at the back of Atem's mind, like an animal fighting to free itself from a cage. A vague recollection of gold last night and it was not the copious golden rings on Pegasus' fingers as he handled his cards.

_Where?_

A knock on the conference room door rang out. A young deputy that looked like he could be fresh out of high school poked his head in the room.

"Agents? I've got something you need to see. I think I've found your thief."

The two agents followed the deputy into a small office next to the Sheriff's. A button was pressed and the stage was set.

A wedge of light grew in the dark office before the entire room was bathed in light. There, a strange scene unfolded. Two people stumbled into the room in a fumbling embrace, hands roaming and faces pressed tightly together. Atem quickly pulled his attention away from specifics of the private moment and onto the individuals involved. The man had brown hair styled into one aggressive spike. His face popped briefly into view, and despite the pixilation, Atem knew it to be the Head of Security, Kemo.

The woman, however, had her back to the camera. Her only defining features were long blond hair and a black dress. A pit formed in Atem's stomach.

"Is that…" Atem heard Yugi murmur beside him, but his partner never got to finish that thought. The woman spun quickly to stand behind the Head of Security, placing a wad of cloth to his face. A brief thrashing of limbs dwindled to nothing as the body of Kemo fell heavily out of her arms and onto the floor. The blonde crouched beside the incapacitated man to rifle around in his pockets. A glint of silver appeared in her hands. She strode over to the safe, and after trying at least a half dozen keys in the override, the safe door popped open. Silver was replaced by gold in her hand, which was quickly shoved into her waiting purse. The woman then walked back over to the unconscious Kemo and placed the ring of keys back into his pocket. She then made her exit from the room.

The deputy reached over to pause the video. They had their perpetrator, but the usual thrill Atem felt when reaching this point in a case was marred by dread.

"Mai." His partner breathed.

Mai Valentine had stolen the Millennium Eye. But why?

As dumbfounded as he was, he knew what needed to be done and by the somber yet determined look on his partner's face, he knew Yugi did too.

Atem grimaced. "Yes. Interestingly, when I ran into her at the end of the party, she was going through her purse to find some makeup. I saw a lot of gold. I initially thought it was just jewellery that she had taken off over the course of the evening, but in retrospect, there was something round in there. It was probably the eye."

"I think this tape is enough for a search warrant." Yugi murmured. "Let's go Atem."

* * *

That evening, Atem and Yugi entered the Kilt and Caber and made a beeline towards the bar. Atem's quick scan of the room did not yield their target. Upon reaching the worn oak bar, Yugi flagged down the solitary bartender, Valon.

"What can I get ya?" he drawled, his boredom clearly apparent.

"Your boss, please." Yugi requested.

With an unintelligible grunt, the bartender turned to yell a "Hey Mai!" at a door behind him. A moment later, the woman in question appeared in the doorway, her face lighting up upon seeing the two agents.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite feds! I hope you enjoyed the party last night. It was a riot." She said with a chuckle.

Her laughter died the second she registered the looks on the two men's faces.

"What is going on? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Yugi pulled out a set of papers from his coat pocket and handed them to Mai for inspection.

"We have a warrant to search your person, home and bar. We have reason to believe that you are in possession of stolen goods." Atem said evenly as he stepped around to the other side of the bar. Atem caught his partner's mumble into a two-way radio to the Sherriff's department officers waiting for their cue in the parking lot. As Yugi walked towards the supply closet that doubled as a small staff room, Atem started his search behind the bar.

A bewildered Mai finally found her voice. "What… what… a search warrant? Stolen goods? What the hell?!"

Atem did not answer her question and continued on his task. A moment later, Yugi called out from the storeroom. "Please open this lock." Mai slipped quietly into the back room, while Atem adjusted his position to keep his eye on her. Atem heard a lock click and shortly thereafter, Yugi exited the room with a black purse. Placing it gently on the bar, Yugi raised a gloved hand to tug open the zipper. He held his breath as his partner started rooting around.

"I haven't stolen anything in my life! Please tell me what this is all about!" Mai lamented. Atem could see the fine tremble in her hands from his vantage point a few feet away.

Yugi's hand suddenly stopped rustling around in the bag. He slowly pulled his gloved hand out and a gold gleamed through his fingers. A solemn nod from Yugi was all Atem needed to spring into action.

"Mai Valentine, you are under arrest. Anything you say can…" Atem started towards her, pulling the cuffs out from their belt holster.

Atem had never seen eyes go so wide in his life.

"What! WHAT! I… what are you doing?!" Mai screamed in horror as Atem firmly grasped her wrists while continuing to instruct her on her rights, pulling them behind her back. Her body was too shocked to protest, but her tongue certainly was not.

"I don't even know what that is! Or how it got there! What are you doing?! I did nothing!"

"We have surveillance footage of you committing the crime." Yugi said quietly, his eyes never leaving the woman falling apart in front of him.

"This must be some sort of mistake. I didn't do anything!" She screamed as Atem prodded her towards the door. "Please, you've got to listen to me!"

Atem guided her past the patrons of the bar and out of the doorway into the waiting officer's car. As the door was closing, Atem caught one last look at her tear stained face, makeup streaming in streaks down her cheeks. Her eyes were terrified and pleading, but Atem fought back any feelings of sympathy. He refused to be played. The evidence did not lie, but if he did not know any better, her face told a completely different story.

Despite his attempts to compartmentalize, it still hurt him. The kind bartender that he and his partner had come to know over their time here… how could she have done this? Why?

In silence, Atem watched as the patrol car drove away towards the Sheriff's Office and the holding cells where Mai would spend her time. Atem felt something brush against the sleeve of his coat. His partner had joined his side.

"We should go check to see how the search at her home is going." Yugi prompted. "I think the officers can finish up here."

Atem nodded once, taking the lead back to Yugi's car. As the Civic made the now familiar drive down the road away from the bar, Atem's eye caught movement in the bushes along the side of the road. A flash of white. Then pure inky darkness met his eyes once again.

* * *

Terror, fear, tears.

Atem leaned against the back wall on the other side of the observation mirror, watching, waiting. Mai Valentine was sitting in the bare metal chair in a similar state as last night. Atem could see her tremble as watery eyes darted around the room like a caged animal looking for a means of escape.

Confliction marred Atem's thoughts. Part of him felt satisfaction in solving this case. However, he was unsettled knowing that it was the somewhat intrusive, yet undeniably caring bartender who had committed the crime. She was beloved by her community. She had never even had a single brush in with the law beyond speeding tickets. Yet, she had seduced Pegasus' head of security, knocking him out cold in order to steal an expensive artifact. He could hardly believe it, although the evidence was damning. Mai was caught on security camera incapacitating Pegasus' head of security and breaking into his safe. The solitary stolen article was then found in her possession, her fingerprints all over it.

But for the last twelve hours, she had vehemently denied all of this to whomever she encountered. It was almost convincing, but he could not allow his own personal view of the woman in front of him to cloud his judgement. He had a job to do and he would do it objectively and justly.

The door to the observation room opened. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go, Yugi."

The two agents entered the interview room. With a joyless smile, Yugi placed a small cup of coffee in front of Mai. They took their seats and started their interview.

"This doesn't look to good for you at the moment, Mai." Yugi started as he leafed though the file in front of him. "We have you captured on surveillance video breaking into Mr. Pegasus' safe and have found the stolen item in your possession."

"Like I said before, this has all got to be some sort of misunderstanding. I didn't do any of that! I don't know how that gold thing got in my purse!" Mai was back near the point of hysterics, her fists balled up on the table. "You've got to believe me!"

 _So she's sticking by this story._ Atem groaned internally.

"We want to hear you out. To understand. But you've got to give us more than that."

"I think I'm being framed!"

"By whom?"

"I don't… I don't know!" the waterworks had turned on full tilt once again. "I don't know. I don't even remember half of that party!"

"You don't? Why is that?" Atem asked.

"I don't know." Mai went on like a broken record with a shake of her head. "I only had a couple glasses of wine. No where near enough to get me drunk! And I don't think that anyone slipped anything into my drink… yet I can't remember a large part of my night."

Atem heard his partner shift in his seat to lean forward on his elbows. "Start from the beginning. What _do_ you remember about last night?"

"I remember arriving at the party. I chatted with Tristan and Serenity, then ran into that Ryou fellow. I was milling about, having a ball. Then…" Her face blanched slightly as she seemed to recall something.

"Then?" Yugi prompted gently.

"I remember a voice from behind me. Then it all gets fuzzy after that. Like I spaced out or something."

Atem held back the urge to prompt and pry as his subject became introspective for a few moments.

"Next thing I clearly remember is walking down one of the hallways back towards the gathering area. I don't remember how I got there. I just said to myself 'that's enough alcohol for tonight, Mai!' and made my way back to the party."

Yugi's face broadcasted his confusion as he tried to hammer out a solid timeline. Through his more detailed questioning, it appears as if Mai lost approximately forty minutes of time to the void in her memory.

Atem's patience dwindled.

"Tell me more about that voice you heard. What did the voice sound like?"

Mai's face contorted into a pained grimace as she tried to recall the details. Or was she making up the details? Atem was uncertain.

"The voice was gentle… soothing almost." Mai shook her head. "I mean it was only a few words, but if I had to guess… it could have been female? Or male. But like a gentler man or a lower pitched woman? Maybe they had an accent? Honestly, it was two words and I wasn't paying attention to what they sounded like."

That sounded like the most generic, blanket statement, desperate lie Atem had ever heard. He opened his mouth to press harder, to call Mai out, but was interrupted by his partner.

"What were the words?"

_Is he actually entertaining this?_

"You're mine."

Those two words were heavy as they hung in the air. The unsettling gravitas behind that utterance sliced through Atem's inner skepticism and sent a chill down his spine. Something shifted. The mask of projected duplicity Atem had initially placed on Mai's face started to break. Something about that fear and pleading look in her eyes compelled Atem to reconsider his staunch read of the situation.

 _Maybe we_ were _wrong…_

Mai clearly stole the Millennium Eye. There was no doubt. The surveillance footage, the item being in her purse and the fingerprints they had recovered from the eye were condemning. Damning. But something about this situation did not feel right. Either Mai Valentine was the greatest actress to ever sit across from Atem or there was something more.

Clearly, Yugi felt the same.

A hand on Atem's shoulder and a quick glance from his partner alerted Atem to the request of a private regrouping. Once the door had closed and they were safely out of earshot in the observation room, Yugi let out a sigh.

"You're not going to like what I'm about to say, Atem."

"Are you thinking that Mai didn't actually do it? I think the same thing."

Yugi's outward shock answered the question for him.

"Well, I should probably start by saying that I still believe that Mai _physically_ stole the item." Atem started. "The evidence does not lie. I'm starting to wonder if she may have been coerced or… controlled somehow."

"Maybe by one of the Millennium Items." Yugi interceded.

Atem's arched eyebrow said otherwise. "No, I was thinking hypnotism."

"Hypnotism? Do you hear yourself?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Yugi's amethyst eyes locked with his, the frustration building behind them apparent. "Are we going to do this again, Atem? After all you have seen, and you _still_ won't even hear me out?"

Atem narrowed his eyes. "Those other things were… different."

"So, you can wrap your head around restless spirits, vengeful artificial intelligence, and telekinesis but not the presence of magical items?"

Atem stiffened. Sure, some of their previous cases made hard selling points for the presence of the entities that Yugi had just rattled off, but Atem's 'belief' in them was hardly secure. He was still trying to reconcile and rationalize what he had seen, even though a small part of him doubted he ever would… and that scared him. Pushing aside his own doubts, Atem continued with his initial approach and began to explain his logic.

"Hypnosis is much more likely. First of all, it definitely exists." – Yugi rolled his eyes at this – "And it can be used to modify and control people's behaviour."

"You do know that even under hypnosis, people can still resist doing things that they do not want to do?"

Atem scoffed. "Maybe Mai unconsciously wanted to steal from Pegasus."

"Seriously?"

"Yes! It all makes more sense than ridiculous ancient Egyptian magic!"

Yugi's frustration was now front and center as he shook his head in vexation. "You're a piece of work."

"Takes one to know one." Atem retorted, bristling instinctively at the snide remark.

The tension was palpable. In uncanny synchrony, the two agents each sucked in a breath simultaneously as they each readied their response. A response that would never come. Atem was the first to break eye contact, looking away before he could say something that he may regret. A small part of him knew that Yugi could very well be right. Maybe the items were more than just expensive jewelry and paperweights. Maybe they did have powers. Maybe he had been wrong all this time. Even though his perception of the world was deeply rooted in the tangible, he was not a narrow minded individual. However, he needed much more than this before he could truly start to believe.

"Ok Yugi." Atem finally breathed, his eyes never leaving the floor.

Silence.

"Say that these items were involved… that they had powers. How would we go about testing your hypothesis?" Atem inquired, his eyes drifting up to meet his partner's.

Yugi met his gaze, but from the white knuckled grip Yugi had on the table he was leaned against, Atem could see that his words did nothing to dissolve the tension his partner was still grappling with. "… As a start, we could press Mai a bit further and get as much information as we can out of her. Then we can round up those people who have items – Ryou Bakura, Marik Ishtar, and Ishizu Ishtar – and see if Mai could identify any as the voice she heard. Then if one of them is the voice, we can see if we can bait them into using it's power…"

Atem could not believe that he was about to agree to this. "Alright." He said with a small smile he hoped would put his partner at ease. Thankfully, Yugi seemed to relax somewhat, but his vice grip on the table remained.

"Let's go. We have an interview to finish." Atem pushed off the wall he was leaning against and moved towards the door.

"Uh, Atem." He stopped. "I just want to apologize for… calling you a piece of work. This case is getting to me and I did not mean to be so harsh."

Yugi's words were clipped with an audible regret that follows something that had been said in the heat of the moment. Although his partner was behind him, Atem could sense that Yugi was wearing the characteristic, and undeniably adorable blush he sported whenever he was embarrassed. Atem smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry too, _aibou._ " Atem let the term of endearment hang for a second before continuing. "We can talk later, but for now we need to go back to talk to Mai."

* * *

Once finished with their interview, the two agents settled down in the conference room again to finish off their case notes before heading out for the night. They had settled into a comfortable, familiar rhythm once they re-entered the interrogation room, but unfortunately, Atem's attention was still split between the charged and his partner.

Atem quickly stole a glance at Yugi. Any residual tension from the observation room had dissipated. He looked relaxed, content, gently chewing his lower lip while he typed. He always did that was thinking hard about something. Atem quickly stifled the smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and quickly diverted his eyes back down to his screen. He willed his eyes to focus on the names and dates in front of him but soon his own thoughts started to come back to the forefront of his mind.

He could not deny that his attention had been divided for some time now, which was very unlike him. He was used to pushing aside his problems to focus on the task at hand. Compartmentalization was something he prided himself on. His problems had never bled into his work like this before. Been so intricately tied to his work in more ways than one. Their blow up in the observation room was an undeniable by-product of this. Yugi seemed to be able to bring out the best in him, and in their time together, he had become both a better agent and a better man. Conversely, he could also drive him insane in ways no one else could.

With a sigh, he succumbed. He let his eyes glaze over, the words bleeding together on the virtual page. He could not help but notice how his life had descended into chaos not unlike what these cases had become.


	11. The truth is out there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets, scars and …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this fic’s rating has changed... read into this what you will. And I blame a whole army of my writer friends for what you're about to read haha.

Forensics continued to pour over Mai's phone for any information that could shed light on what happened at the party. Also, now that Mai's fingerprints were on file, the lab began running them against the fingerprints found around the necks of both Duke Devlin and Bandit Keith. It would take some time for the results to come back. In the meanwhile, Atem once again found himself in a similar situation: holed up in a small motel room for the evening among a sea of discarded fast food wrappers with the only person he knew in this town that was most certainly not a murderer. Both agents had deflected any motion made by the other to discuss what happened today and instead had retreated to a common ground.

"You shouldn't have taken that rook." Yugi chided mildly, moving his knight to take Atem's bishop. "Now you've given me a clear path."

"Or maybe you're playing right into my hand?" Atem quirked an eyebrow, letting the sentence hang just long enough to see a look of self-doubt flash across Yugi's eyes.

He revelled in his partner's reaction. For such a remarkable competitor, it was rather easy for him to get under Yugi's skin. Although, Yugi had proved that the same could be done to him. Atem must have made a face, because Yugi's discomfort quickly abated into a wry smile.

"No, I think you just didn't see your mistake." Yugi grinned as he carefully extracted himself from the bed, taking care to not jostle the game pieces on his way to the minibar.

"I stand by my earlier statement. This is all a part of my plan." Atem doubled down, his eyes never leaving the game board.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Yugi laughed, returning with a handful of overpriced single serve liquor bottles. "Rum or vodka?"

"Vodka." Atem held out a willing hand to his partner.

Atem knew he had made a mistake. He knew the second Yugi had made his move. He had backed himself into a corner, and to his chagrin, his mistake turned out to be fatal. In one turn, Yugi had his queen, and in another, his king fell.

Sighing in exasperation, Atem sat back roughly in his chair. "Alright, you win."

To his surprise, Yugi did not gloat. His face fell slightly, words coloured with concern rather than glee. "Are you… good? Usually you beat me in chess easily. I've never seen you make a careless mistake like that before."

"I'm just tired, that's all." Atem said dismissively.

There it was again. A familiar, almost contentious silence hung between the two agents. Atem could feel Yugi's gaze on him as he rolled the tiny liquor bottle around in his hand, feeling the smooth plastic against his palm. Although he _was_ tired, this was hardly the reason behind his inattention. 

"I know that we haven't been very good at… talking lately." Yugi admitted sheepishly. "But you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

The words were meant as a comfort, but they did the opposite. A familiar sense of shame and self loathing ignited deep within Atem's gut. Yugi, sitting there with his big, _beautiful_ eyes focused on him with a rather fond form of kindness made him want to run. He did not deserve that sort of look.

He could not tell Yugi about this. About _any_ of this. How does one go about telling your work partner, who has become so much more than that, something that would potentially change his view of you forever? Atem recalled the boardroom, Yugi sitting beside him, bravely and blindly expressing his faith in him without having known the details of his crime. How could he do that? And would he have done that if he had known the full story?

Of what Atem had done?

Would he still look at him like he did? Like someone… worth knowing? Or would their relationship become strained with the unfortunate connotations that came with the territory? Strained by something that should have been said much earlier?

He let the small plastic bottle fall to the floor and turned his attention to the thimble sized bottlecap, pressing its ridges into the pad of his finger. It was all going to come out sometime, so it might as well be on his terms. Atem looked up from the bottlecap towards the face of his partner. Yugi's gaze was neither pleading, nor demanding. Fearful nor frustrated. His eyes exuded a quiet kindness that was purely and quintessentially Yugi.

Atem ran a hand through his hair as he readied his words. However hard he tried, they would not settle into coherence. Despite his inner chaos and trepidation, he decided to speak anyways.

"I know I can discuss things with you, Yugi." Atem finally responded, words sticking on a dry tongue. "I… I am just worried of what you'll think of me."

Yugi's concern was quickly replaced with confusion. "'How I will think of you?' Atem, what are you talking about? There's nothing you can say that will change that."

"Yes, there is." Atem muttered, a bitter note clipping his words. He pressed his finger harder into the edge of the bottle cap.

"Atem, whatever it is, you can just say it." A quiet reassurance was uttered as Yugi gently slid closer to the edge of the bed. Closer to him.

Atem's gaze fell from Yugi's eyes to the worn motel blanket. He took in a shaky breath. The ball was rolling now and Yugi deserved to know.

"The official reason why I'm on probation is that I went behind my boss' back on a high-profile case." Atem started. "I re-assumed command after I had been thrown off the case. One of our agents got hurt. He nearly died."

The silence in the room hung. Atem did not dare to look at Yugi.

"But that's not the case. It's a lie."

A pause. A shaky breath. Nerves becoming heightened in anticipation, Atem moved off the chair to sit on the motel floor, his head coming to rest on the edge of the bed. It would be easier to talk if he did not have to see Yugi's reaction. "I _was_ thrown off the case, but I obeyed orders. I stood down. AD Kaiba took the lead and ran the case into the ground, and afterwards, he needed a scapegoat. That scapegoat was me."

"Oh Atem…"

"I am not finished." Atem murmured. "I was picked as a scapegoat for… personal reasons."

Atem's guilt flared in synchrony with his face. He balled his hands up in his lap. The words to come rolled on his tongue, tasting like bile.

"I… I was… involved with AD Kaiba."

When Yugi finally spoke, Atem knew that the question was a formality. His partner surely already knew the answer.

"Involved how?"

"I was… with him. For a while. It all started as a mistake, an impulsive heat-of-the-moment _mistake_. I… I was… weak and he was enthralling. And things just continued… and I fell for him. I thought that I could…" Atem trailed off with a breathy sputter of humourless laughter. He shook his head as if trying to shed the cloud of fear and heartbreak hanging over him. "Things got… messy. I realized just how stupid I had become thinking that I could change him... or walk away unscathed. He doesn't like being said no to… and I said no."

There was silence once again and Atem's hands started to shake. Yugi was probably disgusted. Revolted. He was probably trying to think of the best way to kick him out of the room right now. He was likely making assumptions, that he was just sleeping with Kaiba to climb his way to the top. That was not the case. Their relationship was at one point was real, at least it was to Atem. It was real until he realized that Kaiba viewed him like everything else in his life. As a trophy. A conquest. Something to possess. Kaiba was used him to stoke his own ego. To make himself feel powerful. Kaiba did not care about him in the way he cared about Kaiba.

_How could I be so stupid?_

When Atem finally broke things off, Kaiba unsurprisingly lost his mind. Maybe his reaction was borne of anger from losing his conquest or from fear of his sexuality being revealed to the world, Atem did not know. Kaiba threatened to fire him, smear his name so thoroughly in the process that he would never get a job in law enforcement again. Atem had some protection though, because if this were to come to light, it would also put Kaiba in the spotlight and the type of attention it may attract to parts of Kaiba's personal life could be unsavoury for him. So Kaiba found a workaround, another way to get back at Atem and make his life miserable.

Atem let the bottlecap fall from his hands to the floor. He thought he would feel at least some form of catharsis when he finally told Yugi the truth, but instead, he just felt numb. Untethered. These sensations, however, were short lived. The longer the room stayed silent, the more Atem became restless and the more his own fears and self doubts started to creep in from the edges of his mind. Maybe he should not have told Yugi all of this. Maybe this was a mistake…

_I have to go._

Atem shifted in preparation to stand, but he stopped when he felt the bed shift slightly against his back. Yugi lowered himself off the edge to sit on the ground beside Atem. They were so close that their shoulders brushed as he settled. Atem did not move a muscle, his gaze remaining unblinkingly on his hands. Yugi did not speak, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Yugi was looking out the window.

The silence was finally broken.

"Atem, I'm so sorry."

A simple statement that carried volumes, saying so much despite its few words. A simple statement that was accompanied with a hand placed gently on Atem's knee.

"Thank you for trusting me with this. I know this can't be easy for you." Yugi carried on. "I am sorry if I did anything to make things worse for you."

Atem snapped out of his daze, finally looking towards his partner. "Worse? Yugi… you… you could _never_ make things worse!"

Yugi chuckled softly, pulling back his hand so he could pull his own knees up towards his chest. Unfocused violet eyes still stared out the window. "But I didn't do anything to help, especially not with how I've been lately."

"Yes, you have been a pain in the ass." Atem acknowledged, his honesty serving to pry Yugi's eyes off the window. "But you had someone taken from you. Murdered. And you have had to live it over again and again as more people die by that same hand. Give yourself a break."

"I will give myself a break only if you give yourself one too." Amethyst eyes were now squarely on his. "I can tell you feel so broken up and so guilty over this. You really shouldn't be. You can't help who you… love. And Kaiba… well, he's an asshole. An asshole who wouldn't know a good thing if it hit him in the face."

For the first time since this conversation started, the clamp around Atem's chest loosened. Laughing softly, Atem placed his head in his hands as relief washed over him. Yugi did not hate him. He did not think less of him. Despite all he had said and done, he was still beside him. Supportive and caring as always. The corners of his eyes prickled as tears started to well. _That man…_

"Anyways… his loss is my gain."

Atem's easy laughter died in an instant. _What did he just say?_

His hands fell away and he turned to find his partner's face mere inches away. His eyes were blazing in the lamplight with a desire that Atem never thought he would see. Below flushed cheeks were lips, soft and perfect, parted ever so slightly. He could see Yugi's chest rise and fall irregularly beneath his t-shirt, his breathing mirroring his own. Atem's eyes drifted back upwards to meet amethyst. Yugi hovered there, so close yet so far.

Too far.

Atem leaned in slowly, so close their noses brushed softly against one another. Atem could feel Yugi's warm breath on his lips. The sensation changed. He felt Yugi.

The lips pressed against his own were soft, almost tentative. They slowly and cautiously tested the waters. The waters were warm. After that initial moment of almost timid exploration, Atem felt a hand sweep lightly across his chest before it came to rest at the back of his neck.

He kissed back.

With an almost fervid need, Atem's hands left his lap to explore soft cloth and the body underneath. Gently cupping the side of Yugi's face, Atem pulled him even closer, teasing apart those supple lips with the tip of his tongue. Yugi eagerly obliged. Hands moved faster, wandering farther as Atem's mind faded into a blissful fog. Hesitant no longer, Yugi's hands grasped at Atem, mirroring his own need, balling up in his shirt and running through the hairs at the nape of his neck. Shifting to get better purchase, Atem's knee slid between Yugi's, parting his legs to allow its passage. A throaty moan arose from Yugi's lips as he pulled Atem onto him. Atem's pulse roared in his ear as he plunged his tongue deeper into Yugi. Although he felt starved for air, he did not care. He would gladly give up his last breath to drown in Yugi, his mouth on his, faintly tasting of rum and _right_. So right.

Atem felt the fingers drift down from his neck, igniting a streak of fire as they danced over his spine. The fire followed the fingertips as they stalled at the small of his back, spreading from that point deep down into his groin. His shudder could not be suppressed, and it only spurred Yugi on as his hand moved farther down to clutch his ass. Lips crashed onto each other, harder and with more urgency as the push and pull became more intense, swelling like the sensation growing within Atem's chest. His knee shifted further forward, running against his partner's inner thigh. A second moan, louder than the first was music to Atem's ears.

Atem's hand moved from Yugi's side to the hem of his shirt. The warmth of Yugi's skin felt wonderful under his hand. More. _More_. He needed more. Ached for more. His hand returned to the hem, giving it a small tug, but his progress was stopped as he met resistance. Breathlessly, Yugi disengaged from his lips, a hand gently placed on Atem's chest to push him back.

"Bed?"

"Bed." Atem breathed.

They did not make it very far. As soon as they got their footing, each was pulled back into the other's gravitational pull. This time, there was little keeping them apart. Atem tried Yugi's shirt hem again, and this time, the shirt came off with ease. He took a moment to drink in the sight of Yugi's lean, yet toned body. Their lips met once again, but after a brief brush, Atem's lips moved to paint Yugi's jawline. A hand twisted up into his hair as he followed Yugi's pulse down his neck into its base. His tongue lapped out, tasting the salinity of Yugi's skin as it traced the hollow of his neck. The hand in Atem's hair tightened its grip and he could feel more than hear Yugi's breathing quicken.

Atem disengaged briefly to shed his own shirt, watching on with a smirk as Yugi's eyes briefly went wide with a mixture of shock and awe. He liked that look. He wanted to see it again. But before his foggy mind could figure out how to do just that, Atem felt Yugi's body crash into his, Yugi's tongue quickly and assertively voicing his intentions against his own. A brief disorienting tussle, all heat and touch, resulted in Atem's calves hitting the edge of the bed. A light push was all he needed to fall.

"Ahhh, even here you want to be in charge?" Atem remarked cheekily through his fog at Yugi. All he saw was Yugi's impish grin and felt the rumble of laughter against his chest before he was pulled under once again. His head swam as Yugi went to work, hands caressing contours while he nibbled at an earlobe. The heat of Yugi's lips left his neck, shoulders and chest burning in the most blissful way possible before moving downwards.

Atem let himself go limp, taking a moment to savour how his skin prickled everywhere where Yugi touched and caressed. He spread apart his legs, opening up space so Yugi could get even closer. The closer the better. The shift of weight against his thighs started making his pants almost unbearable. Lips found one another once again, eliciting soft moans drunk with desire. As Yugi's tongue once again started its mission to know Atem inside and out, Atem's hands found metal and leather. As he started to fumble with the belt, he heard a breath hitch and Yugi pushed back, pulling the belt buckle out of his grasp.

"Yugi? Is there something wrong?" Atem blinked.

Yugi stood at the foot of the bed, panting slightly. His face was ablaze in the lamplight, hands clenching and unclenching slowly.

"Ah, I've…" Yugi could barely maintain eye contact as the words rolled off, embarrassed and sheepish. "I've just never done this with… a guy before."

"Ah." Atem stood so they could meet eye to eye. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you don't want to do this, we –"

"I never said that." Yugi cut him off, voice low and unmistakably needy. Atem swore in that second he got harder.

"Alright, we don't really have everything here… but I've got an idea." Atem held out a hand, and to his delight, Yugi took it.

Atem spun him around and gave him a little push to make him sit on the edge of the bed. Atem slowly parted Yugi's legs and knelt between them. His hands went back to their previous task. The belt was undone, and the button soon thereafter. He briefly flicked his eyes upwards, relishing in the desire and mild surprise in his partner's rapt gaze. Atem broke contact and moved even farther down slowly, teasingly, his face inching towards the zipper straining at his partner's crotch. With his teeth, he pulled the zipper down, relieving the strain on the taut jeans. His task done and the next about to begin, he found himself stopping abruptly. 

"UFOs?" Atem's voice was thick and mildly mystified, yet amused nonetheless.

A shaky, self-conscious laugh was quickly quelled by lips as Atem moved like lightning, kissing Yugi senseless. When they finally broke for air, lungs burning, Atem let out a soft chuckle of his own.

"They are so unapologetically you." Atem purred. His lips brushed Yugi's once more, fond and gentle. Then he was gone.

He pulled at Yugi's waistband, prompting a shift so pants and UFO boxers could be pulled off, fully exposing Yugi's erection. A gasping moan met Atem's ears as his tongue licked a languid circle around the tip. Soon this was not enough and Atem took in Yugi's girth. As his head started to bob, Yugi could no longer contain his vocalizations, moans and curses now flowing freely. Atem loved every second of it, hearing the man he had come to respect and adore come undone at his touch, vulnerable and needy in a way he had never seen him before. In a way he never thought he would see. He held the image of Yugi's flushed face in his mind as he went to work. His hands pressed into Yugi's thighs, anchoring him as he increased his pace. Those thighs started to shake beneath his palms. A hand clumsily came to cradle the back of his head.

"Just like – ahn! – that." Yugi's voice trembled deliciously, providing more than enough encouragement to continue. Atem hummed around the shaft, not slowing his pace. Yugi's hand gripped harder in his hair and his hips began to buck against Atem's mouth with zest. Yugi's breathing hitched and sputtered. After a few more bobs Atem felt a hand tap clumsily on his shoulder. Somewhat reluctantly, he released Yugi's cock and looked up.

The veil was gone. Unbridled need burned beneath half lidded eyes.

"Come up here."

Atem wiped saliva from the corner of his mouth and shifted upwards to hover at eye level.

"Yes?"

Before he even had a moment to register what was happening, Atem was flipped flat on his back, Yugi hovering over him with a playful smirk.

"Your turn." The words were nearly salacious in their desire, sending a shudder coursing through Atem's body. Yugi moved downwards, hands deftly releasing Atem's belt. Pants and underwear were pulled off with urgency. Lifting his head off the bed, Atem watched on with a smirk as Yugi took in the sight. Yugi clearly liked what he saw from the telltale twitch of his own cock. After a moment of only brief hesitation, Yugi's hand encircled Atem's member before shifting himself back up to look Atem in the eye.

It was not long before lips found his once again, smoldering in the most blissful way as they danced across his own. The hand started to pump. It was Atem's turn to be loud, moaning openly into Yugi's mouth as Yugi maintained a steady rate. Atem spread his legs, guiding Yugi to situate himself between him with a firm hand on his hip. During the adjustment, Yugi's cock brushed against his hip, its warmth burning a trail on his skin.

A nebulous idea forming in his mind, Atem reached down and grappled for Yugi's hand, prompting him to release his cock. Yugi watched with intent curiosity as Atem shifted his own body so their cocks lined up, running his fingers through some of their pre-come before wrapping his hand around them both. To his delight, Yugi sucked in a breath through his teeth at the contact. He was so delectably sensitive. Atem could have been happy just feeling the throb of Yugi's dick beneath his fingers, but he wanted to feel something even more. Atem started to jerk slowly at first, but Yugi's choked out command of "faster" could not be denied.

"Like that?" Atem purred. "Does that feel good?"

Yugi's glazed over stare and incomprehensible moan was just the answer he needed. Almost on their own volition, Yugi's hips started meeting his pump with every stoke. With a chuckle, Atem released his grip, bringing his legs around Yugi to circle up under his buttocks.

"Let's see what you can do." Atem challenged breathily.

As Yugi's gyrations became full thrusts, all semblance of coherent thought left Atem's mind. Atem gripped the blanket in his fists, trying to hold himself steady against each forceful thrust. Yugi's cock lit up his skin like lightning as it slid alongside his own, producing a deep thunder to roll from Atem's chest. His moans, low and guttural spurred the thrusts on even more.

Yugi's eyes flickered and closed, his breath coming out in short irregular pants from a mouth agape. The sight of his partner on top of him, raw and so undeniably erotic ignited something deep within Atem's gut. With a small, hitched gasp, he screwed his own eyes shut in an attempt to maintain his own composure. He wanted this to go on as long as it could, but seeing Yugi like this – all flush, sweat and pleasure – could be his undoing all on its own. Atem felt Yugi shift, angling himself so more of his weight was on him, pinning their erections further between their sweat and pre-come slicked abdomens. He resumed his trusts. Yugi was so close now that he could feel his breath on the side of his face. He writhed and bucked, letting out a string of curses as he held on for dear life. A chuckle, sweet yet oh so sensual sounded from just beyond Atem's ear. He opened his eyes right before his own words were turned against him.

"Now, let's see what you can do."

Atem came with a long, low howl, his hands reaching up to claw at Yugi's back as his body let go. Almost immediately, Yugi's thrusts became uncoordinated as he reached his own end, burying his face in Atem's shoulder with a muffled cry. Atem let his legs go limp, his touch softening to caresses as Yugi rode out the last of his orgasm, Yugi's lips brushing along Atem's collarbone with every breath. With an incomprehensible but undeniably happy noise, Yugi rolled off and onto his back and turned his face inwards to nuzzle at Atem's neck. As the fluids on his abdomen started to cool, the warmth in Atem's chest started to flare. He could listen to Yugi's content, fond mumbles forever. After an all too brief moment and another mumble, Yugi got up and walked to the bathroom.

Atem continued to lay there on the bed in exquisitely exhausted ecstasy. Part of him wanted to analyze what just happened. What Yugi had said, what he had done, what did this mean for… them? Atem smiled broadly at the ceiling at the thought. _He feels the same…_ But this line of thought was short lived as the pull of the blankets and sheets beneath him proved to be too much. Maybe tomorrow. Just as he felt himself start to nod off, a warm, dampened cloth started to gently wipe him down.

"Mhmmm, you're the best." Atem mumbled fondly, finally free to let his adoration show. "Next time I will get it, _aibou_."

Atem swore that the light from Yugi's blinding smile could have lit up his darkest night.

Blankets were adjusted and soon they were both beneath the covers, nestled in a clumsy, warm embrace. Atem's face buried in the crook of Yugi's neck with a smile, taking in the faint smell of sweat and springtime as he was lulled to sleep by the gentle sounds of his partner's breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this one! As always, comments are appreciated! Good, bad or otherwise, I love hearing your thoughts. It gives me life, let me tell you!
> 
> Next time... the final mystery will be solved. Three chapters. Two agents. One murderer... stay tuned.


	12. Kill switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cons, cold and control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we start, I have some special thanks to give:
> 
> \- To [Arashinana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arashinana), who spent nearly 6 hours trying to solve the mystery, but proceeded to discount the actual murderer at least three times in order to fall back into the same trap.  
> \- To Maewrites, who spent over 2 hours trying to solve the smut… and succeeded. Holy balls.
> 
> But most importantly, I want to say a super special thanks to everyone who made it this far! The comments and love you've sent my way have honestly made me feel so honoured and grateful. 
> 
> Now, without further ado, the mystery is about to be solved! Huzzah! Your guesses have given me life, and I love your theories! Some of you guessed Atem’s secret correctly… now let’s see if anyone figured out the murderer.

Atem’s eyes fluttered open and were met by a sea of blankets and pillows. Sunlight poured in through the crack between in the worn motel room curtains, but the room remained mostly dim. With a small sigh, Atem sunk further into his nest of blankets, drifting back towards dreamland. That is, until a thought jumbled him out of his cozy cocoon.

The sheets next to him were cool. Empty. Raising his head up from the pillow, he frowned at the tousled sheets. _Where did Yugi go?_

With a small groan, Atem rolled onto his other side to grab his phone off the nightstand. 8:32 am. His alarm had not gone off. He was…

“…Supposed to be working.” Atem groaned as he tore the sheets off and bolted from the bed.

“Yugi? Are you there?” Atem called as he started rummaging through his duffel to find some clean clothes. There was no reply. Scowling slightly, he pulled on fresh pair of underwear while fumbling with his phone. He opened Yugi’s contact to call him, but as soon as he did, Atem heard the door to the adjoining motel room open.

“Yugi?”

“Oh! You’re up.” came the cheery response. Yugi appeared in the doorway, two cardboard clamshells nestled in the crook of one arm, and a tray of coffees in his other hand. “Good morning! I got us breakfast from the diner. I thought we could use a proper meal after, uh, last night.”

Atem felt himself go warm at the connotation and the knot in his chest loosened as he took in Yugi’s almost shy smile. He reached out for the containers. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Yugi smile widened, his cheeks turning pink. “Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold.”

They huddled around the small table in Atem’s room that was clearly made for one and the two agents dove into their breakfast. They ate for a few moments in comfortable silence as the smell of bacon and eggs filled the room. Between mouthfuls of buttered toast, Yugi finally addressed the elephant in the room.

“So, uh…” He chewed more on the words than the toast itself. “We did that, huh?”

“Yes.” Atem confirmed with a chuckle from across the table, scooping more scrambled eggs onto his fork.

Atem watched as Yugi squirmed slightly in his seat. He did not look like he was in distress exactly, but he definitely seemed to be struggling with something.

“Ah, Atem. I really liked that and I, uh, really like you and ah…” Yugi rubbed at his face in embarrassment. “I’m going to say something, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea because any way I say this will sound… wrong.”

Atem frowned slightly, slowly taking in a bite of breakfast sausage. He let his partner continue uninterrupted.

“Can we put this” – Yugi gestured with a wave of his fork to the space between them – “on hold? For now? We are getting so close to finally figuring out what happened here… and I think we owe it to the victims to give this case our undivided attention. If we continue on like this, it could jeopardize everything we have worked on.”

“It’s alright, I understand. It’s probably for the best.”

Yugi had a point. As much as Atem would like nothing more than to scoop Yugi up in his arms and spend the rest of the day tangled in sheets, they had a job to do and they had to see this through. They had come so far, and Atem felt an immense sense of duty to give this case his all. For the victims. Their families. And really, for Yugi.

Upon hearing his agreement, Yugi seemed to relax, and he started to lay out some ground rules. It would be business as usual for the two of them. They would focus solely on the case and try to leave their personal feelings out of it. As Yugi continued outlining the rules, Atem could tell that enacting Yugi’s plan was going to be difficult.

Although he knew that this was necessary, Atem wanted so desperately to tell Yugi how much he means to him. How happy he makes him. He was also dying to know exactly what Yugi was thinking. How he felt about him. What he wanted. He feared that these unanswered questions were going to drive him insane. However, he did have a few small comforts and reassurances come his way throughout Yugi’s monologue. He reveled in the faint blush colouring his partner’s face whenever he looked up from his food and relished in the way his knee kept brushing against his own from across the table. Both of these small signs did wonders to ease Atem’s nerves. He could tell his partner's feelings mirrored his own.

“Alright, so we are getting a bit of a late start today, and that’s fine but…” Yugi trailed off as his eyes roamed back onto Atem. He heard Yugi’s breath hitch before words were blurted. “Atem… ah, could you put a shirt on?”

Atem cocked an eyebrow. “I could… am I distracting you?”

Yugi was now tomato red. “N-no, not really. But if we are going to keep things professional, then you should really put on a shirt.”

“Mmmm, you can’t fool me, _aibou._ ” Atem said mischievously as he got up from his chair and slowly walked over towards his bag. He tossed on the first shirt he could find and returned to the table in just a t-shirt and underwear. 

“If you really want to keep things professional, you shouldn’t stare at my ass when I walk by.” Atem admonished playfully as he took his seat.

Yugi nearly faceplanted into his eggs.

They were almost done their breakfast when both agents received a cryptic text from Sheriff Gardner. Forensics’ preliminary report was back, and it was apparently very interesting according to the string of emojis tacked onto the end of the message. Was the bubble about to burst? Either way, their bubble had. They had work to do.

* * *

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Sheriff Tea Gardner started.

“The good.” Yugi suggested with a small smile. Such a sweet, kind smile. Atem quickly realized his own was becoming a little too wide. It had been a half an hour since their agreement, and he was already failing miserably. With a slight shake of his head, he returned his focus back onto the chatty Sheriff.

“Mai’s phone records have come back. Her texts tell a tale of financial woes. She has been struggling with her bar’s finances for some time now and seems to owe a large amount of money to someone named Piero Devlin.”

“Piero Devlin? As in Duke Devlin’s father?” Yugi inquired.

“One in the same. We now have another link tying Mai to Duke...”

“Interesting…” Atem hummed.

“So Mai owed Duke’s father money. A loan for her bar… but how does this become a motive for Duke’s murder?”

“Maybe she tried going after Duke as a way to gain leverage over Duke’s father and something went wrong?” The Sheriff postulated.

Atem crossed his arms, brow furrowing in thought. If this was not grasping at straws and the Sheriff’s hypothesis was correct, how would this explain the other deaths? Keith was her employee… maybe he was stealing money? Or caught wind of her underhanded plan to get out of debt and tried to stop her? However, the timing was off. Keith was killed nine months after Duke. Why the delay? The more he thought about it, the more this explanation felt contrived, but nonetheless, it deserved their attention before being completely written off. He made a small note on the pad of paper in front of him.

As Yugi and Sheriff Gardner continued to talk, Atem sunk further into his own toughts. One thing he could not wrap his head around was Mai Valentine. He had interacted with her so many times during their two trips out to Canton, and he was still in disbelief after her recent arrest. She was well loved by the town and had always been very forthcoming and honest. How could she do this? Even though extortion and debt could drive people to desperate measures, Mai stealing an obscure Egyptian artifact to sell all the while having no personal knowledge about it whatsoever was as weird as it comes. Atem wished there was a different explanation, but the evidence did not lie. Mai had stolen the Millennium Eye and must now pay the price.

“Atem?”

Atem looked up to see Yugi standing across from him, determined eyes holding his own. Any residual glimmers of fondness he had seen this morning at the motel were gone and replaced by a quiet resolve. Yugi was here to work, and unfortunately, that look was irresistibly adorable.

Atem blinked and looked away, shaking his head as if to dislodge the idea while muttering something under his breath about compartmentalization.

“Atem, are you ok?” His partner’s resolve softened incrementally.

“I’m alright, Yugi. What were you going to say?”

“We need to revisit the items.”

“Alright.” Atem responded quietly. “How would you like to proceed?”

“We need to bring in everyone who has an item and see if Mai can identify any of them as the voice she heard before her blackout.”

Atem nodded once. It was a simple enough task and should not take up too much time. Once this endeavour proved to be fruitless maybe then Yugi could shake his fixation on the items as potential murder weapons and they could move onto investigating more realistic and likely explanations.

“It should be fairly easy to find Bakura, but Marik and Ishizu may be a bit more difficult.”

“How about we find Bakura and Marik first, then see if Marik can help find his sister.” Atem suggested.

Yugi smiled in agreement. “Sounds like a plan.”

The first half of their day was spent corralling the ‘twins’. Ryou Bakura was easy to find as it was his day off work and he spent most of his time at home. Although surprised initially, the white-haired man easily obliged their request to return with them to the station for another interview.

Their next task was to convince Marik Ishtar to also come in, which proved to be more difficult than with Bakura. They found Marik manning the till again at his work. It took a lot of persuasion and one not-so-gentle reminder from Atem that the hard way paid off for no one before Marik begrudgingly agreed to go to the Sheriff’s office on his own accord. Thankfully Marik had been in a generous enough mood to give some tips on how to find his sister whenever she succumbed to her wandering ways. Even with this information, the agents were unfortunatley unsuccessful in finding Ishizu.

Back at the station, the agents agreed on having another set of one-on-one interviews with Ryou and Marik before they did their line up with Mai. Ryou Bakura had heard about Mai’s recent arrest and seemed genuinely shocked by it. He repeated three times over the course of the interview that Mai was much too good to have done such a thing. Upon further inquiry into Ryou’s knowledge of the Millennium Eye, the fair man seemed to pale.

“The Millennium Eye? Is that what she stole?”

Atem nodded an affirmative.

“Pegasus had the eye all this time? How interesting is that!”

“What do you know about the Millennium Items?” Yugi asked.

“Only that they are supposed to have powers beyond our understanding. But I’m starting to doubt that, as mine has never done a single thing to indicate that it has such a capability.” Ryou said with a small frown aimed at the golden artifact laying against his chest. “But the Eye is supposed to be able to read people’s minds… wouldn’t that be a cool ability to have!”

Ryou’s jovial and awe-filled words rang hollow to Atem’s ear. This would be their third time interviewing Ryou and he had still not redemonstrated that cold, dangerous fury he had shown briefly during their first interaction. Atem had started to wonder if Yugi had been right. Maybe Atem had just unexpectedly touched a nerve, and the anger Ryou had expressed that day was more benign than he suspected.

Next was Marik Ishtar. In a similar fashion as their last few interviews, Marik looked relaxed almost to the point of boredom as the agents walked into the interview room. After the formal pleasantries had concluded, Atem went straight to the crux of their problem.

“Are you aware of Mai Valentine’s recent arrest?” Atem inquired.

Marik grunted indifferently. “Yeah, I saw it first hand. I watched you escort her out of the bar last night.”

“What were you doing at the bar?”

“Drinking? I don’t know, what else would you do at a bar.” Marik snipped.

“Were you with someone? Or waiting for someone?” Yugi asked.

“I was waiting for Ryou.”

 _Those two really are inseparable._ Atem thought to himself.

“Let’s go back to the theft. A precious artifact, the Millennium Eye was stolen. Do you know about this piece? Or any of the so called ‘Millennium Items’?”

“Only what my sister tells me. Several of these items have been put into the care of my family. Well, really, my sister. She refuses to even let me go near them. She keeps saying that I am too ‘irresponsible’ to take care of such precious and important pieces.” Marik rolled his eyes.

“So you don't have one of these items?” Yugi took over.

“I had the Millennium Rod for a bit, but my sister went ballistic when she found out I was trying to pawn it for cash a few years back. She took it from me… and sometimes I take it back from her.” Marik said with a shrug. “I usually take it for a while without her noticing so I can impress dates. It’s my birthright and all.”

 _So that gold around his waist when we first met him… that may or may have not been the rod…_ Atem was now properly perplexed.

Soon, their interviews had concluded and it was Mai’s turn to do her part. The agents stood in the small observation area that provided a vantage point to the line up room. Bakura and Mark stood against the wall, quietly talking with each other. After a few minutes of observing the ‘twins’ wait in various states of nervousness, Yugi signalled to a deputy to bring Mai into the observation room. When she arrived, she looked shaken, but somewhat more put together than the last time they had seen her.

“Are you ready?” Yugi asked, his tone all business.

Mai nodded once. Yugi leaned in towards the microphone and pressed a button.

“Alright number one, please read from the card we gave you.”

Bakura blinked and raised the index card into his line of sight. “My name is Ryou Bakura. You’re mine.” He read quietly, his soft British accent front and center.

Atem’s eyes never left Mai’s face. Her expression remained disconcerted and weary. If she recognized this voice, she was hiding it well. Yugi looked between Mai and Atem, and after a beat of silence, he leaned back towards the microphone to address the other man in the line up.

“Alright number two, please read aloud.”

With a scoff, Marik hastily lifted his card. “My name is Marik Ishtar. You’re mine.”

Yugi leaned into the microphone. “Slower and quieter, please.”

Marik rolled his eyes, but thankfully obliged. “My name is Marik Ishtar. You’re mine.”

Mai remained the same, no recognition apparent on her features.

“Did either of them sound like the voice you heard on the night of Pegasus’ party?” Atem asked.

“No. The voice was different.” Mai murmured.

Atem hefted a sigh. It would have been nice to have gotten confirmation from this exercise, but even before they started, both agents had acknowledged that the probability of success was low. Mai had talked with both men many times in the past, so surely, she should be able to recognize their voices. But then again, Mai said her memories of that night were foggy and the agents felt that it did not hurt to try. They still had one last person to present to Mai in an attempt to jog her memory: Ishizu. She was the last person they knew who had an item. If they could just find her, maybe she would fit the bill?

“Alright, thank you Mai. We are still trying to find Ishizu, so we will need you again later once we find her.”

“She is a hard one to pin down on a good day.” Mai remarked.

“Also, would bringing in Pegasus be of any help? Do you think he could have been the voice?” Yugi inquired.

“No, it wasn’t him. Even in my state that night, I would have recognized his voice from a mile away.”

Atem nodded. Putting aside his skepticism about the items and their supposed powers, Pegasus controlling someone to steal his own item was just too farfetched.

“Thank you, Mai.” Atem concluded, motioning to the guards to take her back to the cell that had become her home for the past few days.

Yugi sighed as he let himself fall back against the wall. “I was really hoping that this would give us something useful.”

Atem took a step to stand in front of Yugi. “It would have been too easy. Nothing about this case is easy.”

Yugi chuckled, his features softening. “No, it is not.”

Those amethyst eyes held his for a moment in quiet contemplation. He could get lost in them forever. Part of him wanted to close the distance, place both of his hands against the wall on either side of Yugi’s face and kiss him until those eyes looked at him with that drunken desire like they had last night. But there would be time for that later. For now, however, there was work to do.

“Should we try to find Ishizu again?” Atem offered, keeping his voice as even as possible.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Yugi responded, pushing off the wall. He stood lingering in front of Atem before letting out a breathy chuckle as he made towards the door.

* * *

Just like the many before it, their search for Ishizu once again was fruitless. They tried everywhere Marik had suggested and exhausted their remaining daylight hours on their search. Although she was well known as a nomad, a mysterious woman who could only be found if she wanted to be, Atem could not help but succumb a little to his frustration. In a last ditch attempt, the agents cycled back to Ishizu Ishtar’s house once more before retiring for the night. They drove one more time down the now familiar roads and Yugi pulled his car up outside her small bungalow.

“Here goes nothing, I suppose. Again.” Atem grumbled under his breath, eyes surveying the darkened windows. He would be more than surprised if she was inside.

“Not with that attitude. Maybe we will be lucky this time.” Yugi tried to reassure his irritable partner with a smile. It did not work.

Atem followed his partner up the steps toward the porch door. The harsh clang of his fist rapping on the metal frame rang throughout the cold, still night. There was no response. They both stared at the door for several moments, the remaining modicum of Atem’s patience fading quickly. He reached out to gently pull his partner away from the door but was promptly stopped by a loud click. A few seconds later, a light was turned on, illuminating the front steps where they stood.

“See?” Yugi said with a knowing smile. “You should really listen to me more often.”

The doorknob rattled as it opened, and sure enough, Ishizu appeared in the doorway.

“Good. You have arrived.” She said quietly, pushing the door fully open to let the agents pass. Without another word, she retreated back into the dimly lit hallway.

 _‘Arrived’? Was she expecting us?_ Atem was unnerved by the somewhat ominous greeting.

They followed the woman down the short hallway, the scuffed hardwood floor protesting their passage with a high-pitched squeak with every footfall. Wallpaper vaguely resembling papyrus adorned the walls, the pattern printed upon it was outdated by several decades.

Atem finished his journey down the short hallway, following his partner around the corner into a musty room. A floor lamp situated in the corner was the room’s only light source, bathing it in an incandescent glow. Every inch of the walls was adorned with bookcases and shelves, displaying some truly unique and interesting items. Ornate wooden boxes with carvings reminiscent of cultures past. Coins roughened by the sands of time. Statuettes in brass lined up neatly along their shelves. A large carved wooden table had been placed in the center of the room, cloth and candles new and old covering its surface almost in its entirety.

Upon entering the room, Yugi had promptly lost interest in their host and was now ogling some of the relics on display with fascination and delight. Atem watched his partner pick up an amulet to inspect it, a look of pure wonder on his face. He allowed himself one brief, fond smile before caving to his own curiosity. The books lining the shelves in front of him were tomes discussing alchemy and the occult. He spent a moment examining an ancient manual of sorts offering the promise of harnessing the power of demonic possession.

_Why would Ishizu need books like these?_

Shaking off his mounting unease, Atem glanced around the room once again. A glint of metal and glass caught his eye. He moved a few feet over to inspect the displayed relic. Nestled amongst a pile of photocopied pages depicting stone tablets etched with hieroglyphics was a glass dome. Beneath the glass sat an exquisite golden box decorated in hieroglyphics. The lid had been removed, exposing the jagged and gleaming golden pieces beneath.

As if transfixed, Atem could not tear his eyes from the gold in front of him. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, but at the same time, it made him feel oddly cold and alone.

He heard the rustle of fabric as a coat sleeve grazed against his.

“What do you have… oh.” Yugi’s words trailed off. His partner’s eyes seemed to soften as he reached out to lay a had gently on the glass. They stood there for a few moments together in silence, oddly mesmerized. In synchrony, they met each other’s eye. Something about his partner’s rapt gaze made Atem take pause. Yugi must know what this is, but before Atem could ask, their host made her presence known.

“I am so very glad you could make it.” Ishizu’s calm voice brought the two tricolour haired men back to their senses. She stood in the doorway with her hands clasped gently together, her features difficult to read in the shadows thrown by the bookcases. “Although I find it odd that you would try to see me at this hour.”

“We have some matters we need to discuss back at the station and your cooperation would be greatly appreciated.” Yugi said.

“That will not be necessary.”

Those words, said with such certainty, sent a chill running down Atem’s spine. Ishizu took a couple steps forward, her features illuminating in the light, but strangely, her eyes remaining darkened.

Atem fought against his rising apprehension. “I’m afraid either way we will require your presence, Ms. Ishtar.”

“And why is that? Is this about the murderer you seek?” The way her eyes passed from Yugi to himself was unnerving, like a lioness eyeing her prey. Atem refused to be intimidated.

“New information has come to light about crimes recently committed in Canton, and we need to conduct a few more interviews.” Atem kept his response formal and purposefully vague. Ishizu was a wild card and her behaviour was unpredictable at best. He had never seen her provoked, but with the way she was staring at him right now, something told him that he did not want to. A small part of him wondered if he was reading too far into her. However, with Ishizu standing in the doorway blocking the only exit out of the room, he would rather air on the side of caution than be reckless.

“I know nothing about this murderer.” Ishizu said, her arms crossing lightly against her chest. At her neck, her distinctive golden necklace shone in the lamplight. The Millennium Necklace.

“That’s alright.” Yugi reassured. “We are investigating a lead that the Millennium Items may have played a role in the murders and a recent theft. We heard that you know a lot about those items.”

“I do.” Ishizu’s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze cool. “What is it you would like to know?”

“We are interested in the power that they hold… what they can do.”

That cool look froze over. “What do you want of my items?”

“Nothing! All we want is to understand. They are said to have power and their presence here in Canton is something we thought would be beneficial to look into… for our case.” Yugi said gently with a small shrug, trying to dispel the tension that was building in the cluttered room.

“I am their rightful keeper.” Ishizu’s voice had sunken low in warning. “I have been placed here to prevent people who are not worthy of possessing these items from assuming their power.”

“Ma’am, we don’t want your items.” Atem tried to explain, taking a couple of steps forward, hands raised. “We were just –”

“Don’t think for a moment I don’t see the way you look at them. Power hungry and devious. It showed me that you would come for them.” A hand went to her neck. “Their power should never fall into the hands of people like you!” Ishizu’s ominous calm broke. The lioness looked ready to pounce. She took a step forward.

“Ma’am.” Atem said, issuing a warning of his own. “Can we please keep this civil?”

“Civil like you item thieves? I saw how you were looking at the Puzzle!”

“Puzzle?” Atem echoed, stopping his approach. _Is that what the golden pieces are called?_

“Oh! We are not interested in taking your Millennium Puzzle.” Yugi took over from behind him.

“Everyone in this town wants these items. Their power is too great and should never fall into the wrong hands. They need to be protected.”

Ishizu moved forward, her dress billowing with her step. The dress’ movement briefly uncovered a golden object tucked into the sash tied around her waist.

“I agree.” Yugi said gently. “It could be catastrophic should their power be abused.”

“Yes, it would bring upon the world bloodshed unlike we have never seen before.” She said darkly. “There are also immoral people who just want to steal and sell the items for monetary gain. They need a protector like me. I am the keeper of the items.”

The words were now almost threatening, coloured with an unmistakable paranoia. She would clearly do anything to keep these items out of the hands of others.

_Anything…_

Would she steal? Maybe she was behind the recent theft of the Millennium Eye? She could have easily bribed Mai to steal the item for her. Mai needed the money and was probably desperate.

Would she lie? If Ishizu did use Mai to steal the item so she could ‘protect’ it, she was clearly alright with lying and allowing Mai to take the fall for her. But why would Mai not give her up?

Would she kill?

A small, nagging thought tugged at the corner of his mind. Yugi had insisted that the items could have strange and dangerous powers. Maybe Mai was not coerced but rather… controlled? Mai had sworn vehemently that she could not remember a moment of her time in Pegasus’ office or how the Millennium Eye ended up in her purse. Atem could practically hear Yugi’s excited voice in his head saying that they should not write off mind control and that they needed to investigate this further.

Meanwhile, Yugi had continued to try to simultaneously soothe and carefully extract information from Ishizu. “So you have heard about the theft of the Millennium Eye from Maximillian Pegasus?” Yugi asked gently.

Ishizu did not move a muscle.

“We want the same thing as you, Ishizu. We just want the items safe.” Yugi continued to play into her hand. “We want to catch whoever did this to stop it from happening again.”

“It needed to be done.”

A beat. “What needed to be done?”

“The Eye was unsafe in the hands of Pegasus.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is weak minded. He would have been corrupted by its power. The Eye should be with me, its guardian.” Ishizu’s frigid gaze flitted to the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle resting in its box beside Yugi. “I saw the way you looked at the Puzzle…”

“We have no interest in taking the Puzzle, I assure you.” Atem spoke on behalf of his partner.

“I was watching you two look at the Puzzle. You, Agent Sennen, looked fascinated yet melancholy. Your partner, however, looked almost… possessive.”

“Ah, I-I am not interested in possessing the Millennium Puzzle! I want the same thing you do, for it to be safe and out of the hands of people who may misuse it.” Yugi’s hands came up and far away from the Puzzle’s glass enclosure.

“You lie.” Ishizu accused lowly. “You are one of those sent to steal these items from me.” Her features darkened as her hand darted to her hip. Reflexively, Atem’s hand also moved to his.

“Stop, don’t make another movement.” Atem warned, his finger popping open the snap keeping his service piece in its holster.

“Agent Sennen, I think it is _you_ who should not make another move.” Ishizu’s hand encircled its target. Atop a tapering rod sat a golden orb emblazoned with the Eye of Horus with two sharp wing-like protrusions.

“Put your hands where I can see them!” Atem barked.

“You two are a threat to the items and I will not allow you to take them!” Ishizu’s voice raised an octave, her paranoia front and center now. Her fist clenched.

Atem shifted to palm the handle of his gun. Ishizu did not like that.

“Take your hand off it!” She screeched.

“You know I cannot do that. Please place your hands behind your head.”

“If you don’t release your gun, I will make you.”

_Make me?_

“You leave me no choice….”

She tightened her grip. From the golden eye came a brief flash of light so bright it seared Atem’s vision white. When he could finally see again, Atem realized that something had gone horribly wrong.

He felt his feet move slowly on their own volition. He was turning.

_Why am I turning?_

Atem tried to stop but found that he could not. His feet continued. Soon he had turned to become face to face with Yugi.

His partner had gone pale, eyes widening. Yugi’s right hand was around his pistol’s grip, its barrel still resting in its holster. In his left hand was his cellphone, its screen faintly illuminating the leg of his pants.

“Yu—Yug—ii…” Atem’s tongue felt like lead. Every syllable felt like a cinderblock in his mouth.

“Atem, you’ve got to fight it.” Yugi pleaded.

“I know just how to take care of you both. You, Agent Muto, will die by the hand of your partner.” Ishizu’s voice was like ice. “Then Agent Sennen will turn the gun on himself.”

Atem’s hand started to move. The rough hatched grip of his handgun pressed into his palm. He could hear the sound of the metal barrel rasping lightly as it was slowly pulled out of its leather holster.

In a fluid motion, Yugi pulled out his gun, training it on Ishizu. As Atem’s hand continued to move as if possessed, he watched Yugi’s brow furrow. He must not have a clear shot. Yugi shifted ever so slightly to the left.

Atem felt his muscles suddenly contract. He let out a strangled cry as his gun was quickly pulled out of its holster, rising to train directly at Yugi’s forehead. Somehow Yugi’s eyes became even wider and his gun instinctively swung towards Atem in response, his partner's stance mirroring his own perfectly. Atem resisted with all of his might, but the gun remained squarely trained on his partner. He could not get the barrel to move any more than a minute tremble.

“Lay down your gun, Agent Muto.”

To Atem’s horror, the words came out of his own mouth.

“Atem…” Yugi’s gun remained on him. For the first time, Atem saw true terror in those amethyst eyes. He was terrified… of him.

His own terror building, a mirror reflection of his partner's, Atem started to struggle wildly, trying everything and anything he could think of to try to regain control. He thrashed and screamed inside his body, but it would not obey. Only twitches and grunts was all he could muster on his own accord.

“Lay down… your gun. I won’t… ask you again.” Atem resisted with all of his might, but the words still came, tasting like blood and sick in his mouth.

Ishizu sighed from behind him. “You fight valiantly, Agent Sennen. But you will bend to my will. You will kill your partner.”

_Kill…_

With a burst of adrenaline, Atem tried one last time, channeling all of his energy into one final cry. “Yug—Yugi! D-don’t worry about me. Take… take the shot.” Atem choked out the words.

His control was short lived, and he watched his hand raise to disengage the safety on his gun. Atem screamed. Screamed at his muscles to stop. Screamed at Yugi to take the shot. He could not form the words, only a strangled wordless yell emerged from his throat. Quickly, the unknown force ripped him of his control once again. His eyes moved from his gun to Yugi. He could feel his index finger move to rest ever so lightly against the trigger.

Those amethyst eyes were the last thing Atem saw before his world went dark.


	13. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations, emotions, essence, and existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The general consensus is that I am a little evil after that last chapter, and here I am reinforcing that notion. Sorry for the wait! 
> 
> Also, I have to give thanks to one of my buds who offered their services as a [redacted] enthusiast to edit a part of this chapter for me. Thanks Maewrites! (and btw, the count is up to 26 heh) 
> 
> You have questions and there will be answers. But first...

Red, blue. Red, blue. Red, blue.

Atem saw the colours dance for a moment against the back of his eyelids before he tentatively lifted them open. The colours streamed in from the window, bathing the entire room in harsh hues. The wooden floor felt cool against his cheek. His limbs were heavy like lead. He tried to lift his head, but as soon as he did, the world started to spin and a flash of pain shot like lightning through his skull. With a groan, Atem gingerly rested his head back down on the floor, waiting for the uncomfortable sensations to pass.

 _Where am I?_ Closing his eyes again, he tried to pry into his foggy mind to find some clue as to what happened. There was glass, gold, and…

His eyes shot back open. Instinctively, his hand reached for his holster. It was empty. He remembered having it in his hand. It was pointed at…

“Yugi…” Atem’s feeble call came out more like a groan, words catching on his dry tongue.

_Where is Yugi? Is he…_

Ignoring his head’s protest, he weakly got up on all fours, the red and blue lights feeling like icepicks driving into his skull with each flash. Frantically, his eyes scanned the wooden floor for a sign. Any sign of his partner or what had happened here. His stomach rolled nauseatingly as fear and dread formed an icy grip. _I had my gun on him. Did I…_

“Yugi!” The call this time was more audible. “ _Aibou_!”

“Here! I’m here, Atem!”

Footfalls neared closer, approaching quickly from behind him. A hand came to rest on his back and a set of knees slid into view.

“Atem, don’t move. Take it slow.”

Yugi’s face came into focus, all worried eyes and pale cheeks. He looked shaken but fine. He was fine.

“You’re ok. You’re not hurt.” Atem breathed shakily. He wanted so very badly to reach out. To touch.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” His voice was shaky too.

Relief washing over him and not giving a single care about pretenses, Atem laid back down, settling his head on Yugi’s lap. He felt Yugi shift beneath him, straightening his legs out to try to get comfortable. Resting there, eyes trained on the ceiling, he finally breathed his first easy breath. Along with that sensation came awareness of his surroundings. The air was cold, downright frigid. Someone must have left a door open. He felt Yugi’s hand come to nestle in his hair, fingers running small, soothing circles against his scalp. Footfalls could be heard echoing from afar. The red and blue lights continued to illuminate the room… back up must have been called at some point.

_Yugi’s phone. Its screen was on while Ishizu…_

_Ishizu._

“What happened to her?” Atem asked.

“Ishizu? We got her.”

“Got her? Is she…?”

“No, she’s alive.”

Atem rolled his head slightly to look up at Yugi through the corner of his eye. “How… I don’t remember much about… what happened.”

Yugi hummed, his hand leaving Atem’s hair as footfalls came closer. Violet eyes drifted up towards the doorway. “What do you remember?”

“Ishizu was reaching for something. I… I told her to stop. She wouldn’t listen.” Atem furrowed his brow. “There was a light. Then my body just… stopped working. It was doing things all on its own. I… I… Yugi, I am so sorry.”

Despite the footfalls from just beyond the doorway, Atem felt a hand come to rest against his cheek.

“Do _not_ apologize.” The response was scolding, but Atem did not flinch. “I never for a second thought that you were doing this on your own accord. I never thought that you wanted to… kill me.”

Now Atem flinched. 

“You weren’t you. You weren’t in control. You felt that, right?”

Atem nodded slowly. “Every time I tried to… stop, something fought me. I couldn’t move. The words would not come out. I felt like something had taken over me, like it was using me…”

Yugi hummed gently, his thumb starting to brush gently against Atem’s cheek.

“I felt so… weak. Oh, Yugi, I am so sorry.” Atem screwed his eyes shut.

“That was Ishizu.” Yugi responded quietly. “She was controlling you.”

“How…”

“I think it was one of the Millennium Items. That golden item around her hip was the Millennium Rod. It has been said that this item has the power to warp and control minds, and I think that is exactly what happened to you.”

Atem’s eyes fluttered open. With a grunt, Atem sat up so he could look at Yugi properly. It was easier said than done. 

“Take it easy Atem, you’re hurt.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m serious.” He certainly was. Those amethyst eyes held his, grave and unwavering. There was no inkling of that excitement Atem was used to seeing dance within them when the Millennium Items were discussed.

As Atem looked at his partner, he felt his resolve slip. Try as he might, he still could not come up with a more rational alternative explanation. Why he could not stop his gun from… he was not hypnotized. He was not drugged. _Maybe Yugi is right._

“What happened to Ishizu?”

“While you were trying to get her to calm down, I quietly phoned Sheriff Gardner and left the call open. She thankfully knew that we were trying to find Ishizu, so she sent units to Ishizu’s work and home. While waiting for backup to arrive, Ishizu seemed to take full control of you. You wouldn’t even respond to me for a minute there, and I…” Yugi grimaced. “I tried my best to find an opening, but things were getting dire. I really thought you… _she_ was about to shoot me.”

Atem sucked in a breath. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, I’m ok. I took a risk and tackled you. I was hoping that your reflexes would be slower with Ishizu in control. I think you shot one of her books while you fell, but the shot missed me. You, ah, fell hard. I knocked you out cold.”

“That explains a few things.”

“But Ishizu… she tried to run so I went after her. Thankfully, the units were just pulling up to the house and they helped with the pursuit. We caught her on foot a couple blocks away. She threatened to kill one of the officers but she was quickly subdued before she could try anything like what she did to you. She’s back at the station now. We confiscated the items and any other jewelry she had on her for good measure.”

“Good.” Atem rubbed at the back of his head, failing to hide his wince. He could feel a small lump starting to form under his fingertips.

“We can discuss this later. Let’s go get you checked out. You look like you’re in pain.” Yugi’s brow knitted with worry.

“I’m fine. Yugi. It’s just a headache.”

“You could be concussed!”

Atem made a show of getting to his feet as steadily as his weary body would allow. He extended his hand towards his partner. “I’m fine. Come on, I think that is enough madness for one night.”

Yugi snorted softly and took the outstretched hand. “Still, there is an ambulance outside, and I think you should get checked out.”

The gentle, almost pleading request cut through Atem’s pride. Too tired to fight, Atem acknowledged his defeat followed Yugi towards the paramedics.

* * *

The day after their nearly deadly encounter in Ishizu’s home, the agents started the unpredictable and often onerous process of tying up loose ends. Even though they had arrested their suspect, there was still much to do before this case was closed. First on their agenda was Ishizu’s interrogation.

Despite the events of last night, Atem felt better than he could have expected. The paramedics had explained that he was unlikely to be concussed and reassured him that his work could continue. When he had woken up that morning, he was pleased that there was no significant physical aftermath from his possession. In fact, Atem felt better than his partner looked. Yugi had stumbled into his motel room that morning a little rumpled and a little later than they had agreed upon, looking as if he had not slept at all. Thankfully, he started to perk up considerably after a few cups of coffee.

Now back at the station, they were getting ready to sit down with the accused to see if they could glean any more information out of her. Atem knew this may be difficult. It often was. Ishizu had been surprisingly open back in her home, but he knew that the past often does not predict the future.

“This may be an uphill battle, Yugi.” Atem murmured, keeping a watchful eye on Ishizu through the observation room window.

“You may be right, but I think we have a chance to get her to tell us everything if we play our cards right.”

Atem raised an inquisitive eyebrow towards his partner. If there was going to be a chance of a successful prosecution, they would need to obtain a full, recorded confession from Ishizu. Given the atypical circumstances surrounding this case, any rational judge or jury member would have a hard time believing the majority of the evidence that the agents had gathered. Even with a confession, it still may be a difficult sell. Additionally, there was also the separate matter of whether Ishizu was even fit to stand for trial…

“I have an idea. Last night, once we got her talking about the items, Ishizu would not stop. We could use this to our advantage, just follow my lead.”

A smile quirked at Atem’s lips. “Alright.”

He followed Yugi into the interview room and sat down beside him. Across the table sat the woman in white. However, her usual white linen dress had been substituted for the basic grey uniform that the inmates wore at the county jail. She looked bare without her pounds of golden jewelry. Despite the situation she was in, she appeared oddly calm. Almost eerily so. Maybe her lawyer put her at ease? A man in a suit sat beside her, eyeing the agents with a characteristic combination of disdain and wariness that they had become well accustomed to whenever they conducted these sorts of interviews. Introductions were given, the purpose of the interview was discussed and their search for answers commenced.

“You were mentioning that you have been tasked with protecting the Millennium Items.” Yugi noted. “Sounds like a very important calling.”

“Yes, it’s an imperative role for the protection of mankind. Like I said before, without my guardianship, these Items could spell the end of the world.”

“Sounds very important.” Yugi agreed amicably.

 _This must be a part of Yugi’s plan._ By laying it on thick, massaging her ego and delusions through affirmative statements, his partner could increase their chances of getting her to give up the information they needed. If they could get Ishizu to reiterate everything she told them last night on a recording, this could serve useful later on.

“It has been something that was passed down in my family since ancient times. When the Items were safely kept in the museum, we had little to do. My father stayed close to the Items by working at the museum to ensure their safety. But somehow he failed. They were stolen and scattered…”

The agents sat in silence for several moments, gazes intent on the accused as they waited for elaboration. The lawyer shifted audibly in his seat.

“My father tasked me and my brothers to recover the items. We moved here to the United States to do so.”

“Were you able to find them all?”

“Most, two are still lost.” She responded in a grave tone. A harsh look crossed her features, dark irises seeming to flare. “And some are still in potentially dangerous hands.”

“Like the Eye was?” Yugi prompted.

“You don’t have to answer that.” The lawyer leaned in towards his client, hand raised as if to stop Ishizu from saying anything more.

Without so much as an acknowledgement to the lawyer, she continued to speak.

“Yes, like I said before, the Eye was not meant to be in Pegasus’ possession. He is too easily corruptible. I needed to recover it.”

“How?”

As Yugi continued to tease details out of Ishizu, Atem watched on. _It is a good thing he took the lead, she seems to be very forthcoming with him._ Atem internally remarked, impressed at his partner’s read of the situation and his gentle, yet effective inquiries. The plan was working better than he could have expected. Atem leaned back in his seat, perfectly content to watch his partner skillfully undo the charged. 

“The Millennium Items help protect their own. Their powers are vast.” She said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“I’m sure. It must have been very difficult to secure a powerful item like the Eye.”

“It had to be done very carefully.” Ishizu agreed somewhat warily.

“So, you managed to save the Eye from Pegasus. One question that I have is how does Mai come into all of this? We have her on security footage stealing the Millennium Eye from Pegasus the night of his party. Did you bribe her? Or coerce her somehow?”

His partner’s questions left the room tense. With a barely audible mutter, the lawyer leaned in to discuss something in hushed tones with his client. Atem gripped the arm of his chair, eyes drifting between the accused and her increasingly animated lawyer. Even though Ishizu had been forthright up to this point, the direct nature of these questions could derail any rapport and progress they had gained. If she decided to choose this moment to stop talking or listen to the advice of her lawyer, it would be very difficult to establish this opportunity again.

“If you say anything here, you will be harming my chances of helping you.” The lawyer warned Ishizu, his voice now audible to the agents.

“I have no need for your services. Please leave. I did what is best for humanity and now destiny will deliver me.” Ishizu relayed evenly. The lawyer stared at her for a moment in dumbfounded silence. Eventually, he groaned and left the room without a further word. However, the jarring slam of the door said so much.

As Ishizu turned to face them, it was clear that the grip of her grandiosity had continued to dig deeper into her. “The Rod gave me the power I required.” Her eyes gleamed with a nearly morbid excitement.

“How?”

“The Rod has many powers, one of which is aiding in the recruitment of others to your cause. By being able to tap into people’s minds, it can influence their words and actions.”

Ishizu launched into a long and complicated discussion about how the Millennium Rod can influence others. In the process, she openly confirmed that the Rod had the ability to control people. Atem was sent reeling as the implications of this revelation hit him full force. This should not be possible. It went against every law of physics and nature. Through this item and its ability to harness some supernatural power, she had made him her puppet. Used him for her own twisted agenda. This confirmation of something so unfathomable and wrong shook him to his core. He was forced to revisit his skepticism about the Millennium Items, and by extension, question what was truly possible. Just like he was having problems accepting Ishizu’s confession, a jury surely would as well. It would be too improbable and fantastical for many to believe.

After taking a few moments to right himself, Atem started to pay attention again to the ongoing conversation. In the meanwhile, Yugi had prompted Ishizu to finish explaining how she had obtained her Millennium Items.

The story she told provided further insight into her madness. Her initial obligation to seek and protect the Items had grown into an obsession. She described travelling extensively around the continent to find these items. In order to track them down, Ishizu had inserted herself into the circles of several seedy artifact dealers and collectors. Through the use of bribery and coercion, she was able to secure the Millennium Necklace and Rod fairly easily. Afterwards, Ishizu relied on the Millennium Rod’s power to help secure her remaining item. Many years later, she was able to find where the Millennium Puzzle was. She described controlling the wife of an artifact dealer in Saskatoon to obtain the perpetually disassembled Millennium Puzzle from his personal art collection. The details in her story correlated well with how she claimed to obtain the Millennium Eye, using the rod to control someone else to do her dirty work. When asked about why she did not try to obtain the Eye from Pegasus earlier, Ishizu claimed that she did not know he had it until just a month prior.

Despite her belief that she is the one sole guardian of the Millennium Items, tasked by her father and her ancestors to prevent them from falling into the hands of the corrupt, ironically, Ishizu seemed to be one of the corrupted herself. Her stories were coloured with delusion, and the lengths to which she would go to complete her mission were clearly depraved. She was even paranoid about her own brother, whom she described as ‘irresponsible and a liability’. If she knew that Marik had been recruited by Duke to help steal a Millennium Item, Atem was sure Marik would be six feet under by now, blood relation be damned.

From Marik, their conversation eventually shifted to Duke Devlin. Ishizu recalled several times where Duke talked to her at the Kilt and Caber, mentioning how she could make a fortune if she would just sell her jewelry. Ishizu described becoming enraged several times at Duke for even suggesting that she part with her Millennium Necklace. After hearing from her brother about Duke’s latest off colour get-rich-quick schemes, Ishizu started to fear that he was trying to steal her Millennium Necklace. 

It did not take much to get her to confess to killing Duke. She described luring him into the woods behind the Kilt and Caber after he had drunkenly joked one night about taking the necklace and selling it himself. As for how she killed him, she went into an unbelievable explanation of combining the power of her Millennium Necklace and the Millennium Rod with an ancient incantation in order to create a power surge strong enough to ‘cut through the darkness of man’s heart’. Once the items had obliterated much more than the darkness from Duke’s heart, she placed her Millennium Necklace around the neck of her victim briefly so it could purge any wickedness from the words they may speak in the afterlife. It was all very macabre and cryptic, and the more Atem tried to wrap his mind around the details she provided, the more confused and unsettled he became.

After the agents got what they needed to validate Ishizu’s confession as best they could given the bizarre and somewhat incomprehensible nature of Duke’s murder, they moved on to glean out her connection to Bandit Keith. Once again, she had multiple interactions with the somewhat unsavoury bartender at the Kilt and Caber. She described how she could just ‘sense that he was untrustworthy’ and wanted to take her Millennium Necklace and Rod for his own wicked doings. When pressed for more concrete details, all they received were more delusional and circumstantial ramblings.

Similar to Duke, she convinced him to follow her out into the woods behind the bar so she could end the threat using the Necklace and Rod before he could ‘make a move on her Items.’ Atem internally remarked on the time gap between the first two murders. She must not have known that Keith was working with Duke or else he would have been killed around the same time in order to protect the items. When asked directly about this, Ishizu did seem genuinely surprised that Keith was involved in Duke’s scheme.

Another question on Atem’s mind was why she had not tried to obtain the Millennium Ring from Ryou Bakura, despite knowing that he had the Ring for several years. When questioned about this, Ishizu seemed minimally concerned about the Ring being in the hands of Ryou, stating that Ryou was destined to hold the Ring and that his light balanced its darkness. Also, she had a method to keep tabs on the Ring. Even though she did not fully trust Marik, Ryou’s close relationship with her brother seemed to put her concerns at ease. She eventually admitted that she would have used her brother as her conduit to acquire his Millennium Ring should his behaviour become worrisome.

As the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, central to the overall picture was Ishizu’s festering delusions. Atem was not a psychiatrist, but he had come to wonder if her mental health would put her culpability into question. However, this was not for him to decide. He was merely there to gather relevant information. Shelving thoughts of criminal responsibility for a moment, Atem refocused on their work. Several hours had now passed and Atem was reaching his end. They had asked nearly all of their questions and had parsed out the necessary connections between all of the North Carolina victims and the accused. Their work was almost done, but they did have one last initial topic they needed to broach. One additional victim they needed to address.

“So you said that you have been in the possession of the Millennium Necklace, Rod, and Puzzle for the last twelve years, correct?” Yugi asked.

“I have had the Rod and Necklace for twelve, and the Puzzle for four.” Ishizu corrected.

Yugi scribbled down the correction quickly. “Did you ever spend any time in New Jersey, specifically around the town of Princeton?”

“Yes, I worked in the Princeton University Art Museum some time ago.” Ishizu replied. “Why do you ask, Agent Muto?”

“When was this?”

“Around ten years ago.”

Atem watched his partner fish out a folder from the stack of case files beside him. From the file, he carefully produced a photo of a young woman, beaming at the camera with chestnut hair and caramel skin, sliding it across the table to Ishizu.

“Do you recognize this woman?”

Ishizu stared at the photo, her face blank. She closed her eyes with a slow exhale.

“I do.”

Atem could feel Yugi tense beside him. His partner leaned forward.

“Did you kill her?” No pretense, no build up. Just one pointed question said almost so softly that it could have been missed.

Ishizu’s eyes opened. “She was a threat to my necklace.”

Yugi stared on for a moment, eyes unreadable. “Why?”

“I don’t recall all of the particulars as it was some time ago. But I do recall the way she looked at the Millennium Necklace. We had met in a bar one evening and started talking. She later tried to take it from me.”

“She did?”

“She was constantly staring at it, coveting it. She wanted to try it on. I said no, but still she reached for the clasp. Even though she apologized, her heart had been shown to me. Her greed, her envy. She was a threat.”

In the silence that followed Ishizu’s words, Atem knew that Yugi must be trying to process his emotions. The pain and anger that he must be experiencing... it would be overwhelming. Losing someone you love in such a sudden and violent manner and being without answers for a decade, he could not imagine what that must be like. Now all of Yugi's efforts to find her killer had finally paid off, but yet, he sat there quietly. No anger. No relief. The initial tension Atem had sensed had melted away. His expression was calm, his gaze steady as he stared at the accused. It was a strange response. If Atem was in Yugi’s position, he would have lost his mind and succumbed to his anger. He would have barely held himself together as he relived the pain he suffered anew. However, Yugi continued to look ever the professional. That is, until Atem finally saw the fist resting in his partner’s lap. That fist, clenched so hard that the knuckles had turned white, was all it took to break Atem’s heart.

Without another thought, Atem took over the conversation, carefully coaxing the information from Ishizu while his partner sat in silence. While he continued on with his line of questioning, he subtly shifted his leg to rest against Yugi’s. He felt Yugi jump slightly at his touch, but stilled quickly when he realized what it meant. A few moments later, he felt Yugi’s leg nudge his own as if to say ‘thank you’. With a quietly murmured apology, Yugi excused himself from the room. Atem stayed, concluding their initial interview with Ishizu on his own.

After he had finished with the interview, Atem set off in search of Yugi. He found him stilling alone in the conference room, typing up what was likely his field report.

“Hi.” Atem greeted quietly from the doorway.

“Hey.”

Atem took a seat across from Yugi at the conference room table. “How are you doing?”

“Ah, about as well as I can be.” Yugi said as he closed his laptop. “I knew that finding her killer would be a double-edged sword, and I thought I was prepared, but honestly I did not expect it to hurt as much as it did.”

Atem hummed his empathy. “I cannot imagine what you’re going through.”

“Yeah.” Yugi mumbled pensively, his eyes drifting to the table. “Hearing her say those things brought back everything I’ve felt since her murder.”

Atem watched as Yugi’s features softened. When he spoke again, he sounded more like himself. “Also, thanks for saving me back there before I could do something I would have regretted.”

“Anytime.”

Yugi sat back in his chair, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Now that I know, though, I feel relieved. I have my closure. I feel like I can finally rest… and so can she.”

“I am so glad, Yugi.”

That smile grew.

* * *

After grabbing a late dinner at the diner, any hope Atem had of company that evening was dashed as Yugi promptly, but adorably, fell asleep while they watched a movie on the ancient motel TV. He had to admit that Yugi had the right idea. The last couple of days were difficult, and they both more than deserved their rest. He gently tossed a blanket over his sleeping partner, and after one last glance, Atem retired to his room.

Despite his best intentions to sleep, Atem found himself on edge and wide awake. Since he was up, Atem decided he might as well be productive. His laptop rested on the rough motel blanket by his legs, his case notes pulled up in preparation to write his report. This case, despite all its intricacies, could not hold his attention tonight. Not completely. Atem rubbed the side of his face, willing his eyes to focus on the names and dates on the computer screen. However, there were other things on his mind.

For the hundredth time this hour, he glanced up at the door to the adjoining room. The last couple of days were long and left for little time to properly talk to his partner. Last night, as soon as they reached their motel rooms, Yugi had insisted that he needed his rest, all but tucking Atem into bed himself when he resisted. Today was long as well, with new information clawing at old wounds. Between Atem’s possession and Ishizu’s confession, both agents were left worse for wear.

Despite the heavier and more pressing issues, Atem still could not help but think back to the night they shared. His cheeks warmed as he thought of the way Yugi looked at him that night, with so much awe and adoration he thought his heart was going to burst. Soon, they would be able to have the conversation both had been skirting for the last couple of days, but for now he would have to be patient and respect Yugi’s wishes. With a sigh, he tore his gaze off the door to glower at his screen. 

Any progress he was about to make was halted by a knock sounded on that same door.

“Hey Atem?” A muffled voice called. “Are you up?”

Atem looked at his phone. 12:30 AM. What was going on? They agreed to get an early start on their work in the morning and Yugi should be asleep. With a mumble and a light stretch, Atem got off the bed and answered the door. Yugi stood in the doorway, hair rumpled like he had just woken up.

“Did I wake you?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Good, then I won’t feel too guilty about doing this.”

Warm hands were instantly on him as even warmer lips took his breath away. Atem was quickly lost in a myriad of intoxicating kisses as he was pushed roughly up against the door frame, Yugi’s hands grasping and holding him there with a desperate need. He was set ablaze as Yugi’s lips left his own and started turning their attention to the delicate skin around the angle of his jaw. The hands lighting up his skin pulled their bodies close and held him so firmly that he could feel Yugi’s chest rise and fall as if it were his own. He could feel a heady blush form, his blood searing as it coursed just beneath his skin as a heat also started to build low within him.

Atem moaned. He could barely react, mind and muscle falling apart by the very forward and unexpected affection. However, it did not take long before his fog started to break. A semblance of rational thought formed in his mind and a coherent question bubbled up to the forefront. Try as he might to focus on those lips sucking at a spot on his neck and those hands up underneath his t-shirt, he knew he could not ignore it. “Are… are you alright?”

Yugi froze, lips leaving to hover just above his skin. Atem could feel Yugi’s soft breaths for a couple of moments before he finally looked at him. Although he was clearly trying to hide it, Atem could see the fear behind his yearning gaze. It broke his heart.

“Talk to me.” Atem murmured as his limbs finally regained their tone, pulling his partner into a gentle embrace.

“I… I dreamt about the house. I… shot you. You were lying on the floor…” the words were said with a vulnerable murmur into his shirt.

Atem’s embrace tightened and it was returned in kind. They stood in the doorway adjoining both of their rooms wrapped in each other’s arms. Atem basked in the warmth of Yugi. The smell of his partner's citrus shampoo. The feel of Yugi’s cheek nuzzling against his own, soft and tender and so, so light it brought tears to Atem’s eyes.

“I’m here. We’re safe.” Atem murmured into Yugi’s ear. “It was just a nightmare.”

“I know,” Yugi’s response was muffled, “but I almost shot you and that terrifies me.”

Atem was not really afraid of that. He could have accepted his own death if it meant Yugi was safe. What he was scared about what his body would have done under Ishizu’s control if Yugi had not stopped him. He could still remember feeling his finger on the trigger, ready to pull. It was not him, but in that moment before Ishizu must have fully forced him out, he feared in part it was. If only he could had fought harder. He had never felt so powerless. So hopeless. He was used to being in control of his situation, using his confidence and skills in order to achieve his end. However, as he stood there staring down the barrel of Yugi’s gun, there was nothing his will could do to help him. All he cared about in that moment was Yugi’s safety, his own life be damned.

“I know we agreed that we wouldn’t talk about us until we were done with the case, but I just need you right now.” Yugi’s voice was uncharacteristically small.

“I need you too.” After a moment, Atem pulled away from their embrace to ghost a kiss across Yugi’s lips. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t stop. To kill someone you love by your own hand as you are hopeless to stop it… I don’t know if I could have ever forgiven myself.”

“Really, I hope you don’t feel too guilty about that. It was just… wait…” Yugi pulled abruptly away from Atem, eyes widening. “What did you just say?”

“Hmmm? Did I say something wrong?”

He watched as Yugi’s blush grew, waiting in silent confusion as his partner struggled to find his words. “Did you just say ‘love’?”

 _Oh. Well._ _I did say that._ That one word that had been tugging at his head and his heart for some time now, refusing to be ignored or quelled, was now floating there in the space between him and Yugi. He had not meant to say it, at least not in this way. Ever since he had realized his feelings, he had wanted this moment to be special. To mean something. But he could not take it back now... not that he really wanted to. It was the truth, and Yugi deserved to know the truth. As the initial shock of his slip subsided, he quickly realized that even though that word had been unintentional, it came out perfect. Truly perfect. The gentle rumble of his own laughter filled the air, but it was not to hide any nerves or fear. It was because the warmth that had grown in his chest had become nearly too much to bear.

“I did. I am in love with you, Yugi.”

Yugi’s smile grew to match Atem’s as his eyes sparkled in dark. “I love you too.”

As those words reached his ear, the world seemed to fall away. He was soaring and falling all at once. His head light and chest so full, Atem reached out, intertwining their fingers as he led Yugi wordlessly towards his bed. Unlike their night before, this time when they fell onto the bed, there was no urgency or impatience. When their bodies drew near, there was no desperation. When their lips found one another’s, there was no deprivation. Their touches were sweet and attentive. Every stroke and caress wiped away at the distress that night had left on their souls. The disquiet in Yugi’s gaze was completely gone, leaving behind a fondness that took his breath away.

Before the raw emotion behind the gaze became too much, Atem leaned into Yugi and caught his bottom lip briefly between his own before allowing their tongues to speak to one another once again. Heartfelt ballads nor exquisite sonnets could compare to the intimate tomes they were writing on each others skin, lips and hearts.

As Yugi’s hand came to cup the side Atem’s face, caressing his cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, Atem’s hand wandered from the back of Yugi’s neck to rest tentatively above the bulge in Yugi’s pyjama pants. Yugi broke the kiss, pulling away just enough to look Atem in the eye before rocking his hips ever so slightly upwards to allow Atem’s hand to find its mark.

“I need you, Atem.” Yugi breathed quietly.

Atem felt the same way.

His hand started to rub, while his other kept Yugi’s lips right where he wanted them. A soft muffled moan came from Yugi’s throat as Atem increased his pressure, reaching deeper to feel more beneath those thin pyjama pants. Yugi arched his hips further up into his hand, murmuring praises against his lips. Yugi eventually broke free, sitting up to shed his clothing while Atem followed his lead. They came together once again, stroking at skin now exposed and slick with sweat. Atem’s nerves seared with every graze of thigh against his. He shifted even closer, so close he had to straddle Yugi’s knees between his own, causing their erections to brush against one another. Yugi’s gasp and open pleasure made his heart soar. He wanted more though, but for that, he needed something.

Atem disengaged himself from their embrace. With a wink, he got off the bed to walk stark naked over to his leather work bag. He pulled out a small plastic bag with a familiar drugstore name on it. Atem heard Yugi hum with surprise as he recognized the item.

“And what do you want to do with that?” Yugi asked with a breathy chuckle, leaning back onto his hands.

“You’ll see.” Atem replied with a smirk, getting back onto the bed. “Also, you know you should really stop staring at my ass.”

“Oh come on, you _love_ it.” Yugi teased back, drawing out the word ‘love’ as long as he could. It was Atem who now turned pink. As he moved to kneel in front of Yugi again, he felt a hand slide up to give his ass a quick squeeze. “and I love it too.”

Murmuring something in jest about regrets, Atem leaned in and buried his face into Yugi’s neck, Yugi’s small yelp glorious to his ear. Lips made contact first, then his tongue. Yugi’s hands grasped at his head, his back and his ass, moving in an increasingly uncoordinated manner as Atem painted every inch of his skin. Atem hummed as his lips ghosted downwards across Yugi’s chest. His tongue licked a circle slowly, ever so slowly around Yugi’s nipple causing his partner to rasp in a breath and shudder against his arms.

“Ahn… Ate-Atem…”

But when Atem looked up, whatever Yugi had wanted to say had dissolved into a shaky, yet satisfied sigh.

“You like that, don’t you?” Atem murmured in a low, almost devious growl. A breathless chuckle was all Yugi could muster for a few moments before he regained enough composure to form a sentence.

“How are we going to do this?” Yugi finally asked, pushing Atem away ever so slightly so he could look him properly in the eye.

“How would _you_ like to do this?” Atem asked quietly. He knew the answer before Yugi could say it. His love’s heady blush and eyes ripe with desire spoke louder than his words did.

“All I want is you. I… I don’t really care how right now.”

The words were said somewhat shyly, and Atem was caught up in the sweetness of the sentiment. He leaned in to brush his lips against Yugi’s before pulling back to whisper “Alright.”

They were quickly back in their tangle as Atem resumed his deep exploration of his partner. Inch by inch, inside and out. Soft, slick, sweet. Atem savoured in the sensations beneath his fingertips, the sounds to his ear and the taste on his tongue. More never seemed to be enough. He felt like he was being driven to madness, his nerves firing all at once in a symphony lead by the rhythm of his heart.

Atem straddled Yugi once again, stretching out a hand to brace himself against the headboard behind Yugi’s sitting form. They were so close that he could feel Yugi’s cock throb against his own as he ground up against it. Yugi’s hands left his skin briefly, a cap snapping faintly registering through the hum in his ear. Hands returned to feverish skin, coming to rest on the small of his back to pull him even closer. Atem moaned his approval against Yugi’s lips. As if reading his mind, Atem could feel a hand move towards his entrance. He reached back, guiding Yugi’s hand towards its mark. He let in a sharp breath as Yugi’s finger entered him, lube dripping, as jolt of pleasure spreading through him. He murmured “more” against Yugi’s lips as he ground down against that finger and soon it was joined by another. Then another. This soon was not enough.

Breaking away from Yugi’s lips momentarily, Atem grabbed the lube and applied it liberally to his hand. He spread it over partner’s shaft with a few tantalizing strokes, watching on with immense satisfaction as Yugi fell back against the headboard with a throaty, nearly breathless moan. However wonderful this view was, his partner slowly becoming undone at the mere touch of his hand, he had another view in mind.

Shifting himself into a better position all the while removing Yugi’s fingers from his ass, Atem lined up Yugi’s cock at his entrance and lowered himself ever so slowly down onto him. Atem bit back his own moan so he could fully enjoy hearing Yugi suck in a breath at the contact. Crimson held on amethyst for a moment in an almost reverent silence before Atem started to move. Yugi let out the breath he had been holding in a long, shaky curse. Yugi’s hands found Atem’s hips as his own started shifting beneath him, thrusting to meet every downward movement Atem made. Atem leaned forward, brushing aside one of Yugi’s bangs before pressing his forehead against Yugi’s.

Yugi soon started to shake beneath him, and it was not long before Atem heard Yugi’s breath hitch and felt Yugi’s hands on his hips squeeze as if gripping on for dear life. With a pleased whisper, Atem increased his pace all the while savouring every wave of pleasure created by his downward drive. 

“Fuck, I don’t think I can last much longer.” Yugi panted, his pinkened face contorted as he attempted to hold on.

Atem hummed, leaning in to seize those parted lips between his own in a brief kiss.

“I’m here.” Atem murmured encouragingly in his ear. “I’ve got you.”

“Ate-Atem!” Yugi’s gasping cry rang out through the motel room as he came. Atem slowed his pace as he was filled, moving a hand from the headboard to cup Yugi’s warm cheek. With an affectionate mumble, Yugi leaned into the touch, content amethyst eyes sparkling affectionately at him. Atem drank in those glimmers, each of them lighting up his own heart. Atem did not have long to savour, though, as Yugi’s gratification quickly faded as soon as he looked down. With a small frown, he placed a hand on Atem’s chest and gave him a light push back.

“Mmm, you’re always so good to me. It’s time I treated _you_ like a king… or rather, a _pharaoh_.” Yugi’s voice was thick. “Lay down.”

Atem shivered at the wanton words and did what he was told, disengaging from Yugi’s cock to lay down on his back. With a hum, Yugi ran a hand up Atem’s thigh, leaning down between his legs to take Atem’s cock eagerly between his lips. The combination of shock at the sudden advance and the wave of pleasure rippling through Atem’s body nearly made him finish right then and there. A whimpering moan from his own throat startled him. It was hungry and needy in the way only Yugi seemed to make him. Somewhat sloppily, Yugi went to work on the head, the damp heat from his mouth felt so good on his cock. Yugi’s zeal took him in a bit too far, causing him to choke and sputter.

“Yugi, are… are you alright?” Atem’s concerned words were only met by a muffled, yet undeniably sheepish chuckle around his shaft as Yugi continued, increasing his pace as he found a comfortable rhythm. His vision started to fade as Atem once again found himself teetering on the edge with Yugi’s name on his lips.

Toes curling and hands gripping at the sheets, Atem finally succumbed. With one last cry of his partner’s name, he came to his end. Partway through, he heard a cough from Yugi and the wet heat was gone. Lifting his head and through foggy eyes, Atem saw Yugi sitting there, a sheepish grin on his partially come covered face.

“Sorry, you’re… a lot.” Yugi chuckled as he swiped at his chin.

Atem quickly sat up and met his eye and implicitly murmured. “Gods, I love you.”

Yugi’s laugh rang throughout the room as he pulled Atem into an embrace. Once his laughter had settled, Atem pulled away to place a quick kiss on Yugi’s forehead.

“You’re really going to stand by the story that you’ve never done this before.” Atem smirked as he caught Yugi’s eye.

“I never lied.” Yugi said with a small, defiant huff. “I’ve thought about it before, sure. Too many times in high school, really. I’ve just never, you know, thought _too much_ about it or acted upon it.”

Atem hummed his uncertainty as he leaned in to nuzzle his neck.

“Don’t you even start.” Yugi chided playfully, batting lightly at Atem’s shoulder.

“Don’t start what?” Atem pulled his face away to smirk briefly, before leaning back in to place feather light kisses around the angle of Yugi’s jaw. Atem heard a hand clap over Yugi’s mouth as the other man bit back a moan. Atem wrapped his arms around Yugi with an affectionate snort. He would have to remember that spot.

“Haven’t you had enough?” Yugi squirmed in his arms, reaching out to cup Atem’s face, bringing it back into his line of sight.

“Of you? Never.” Atem said quietly.

Yugi response was the sweetest kiss Atem had ever received.

“You’re going to be a problem, aren’t you?” Yugi asked cheekily as they broke apart, his arms resting atop Atem’s shoulders.

“What ever do you mean?” Atem feigned his innocence.

“Oh, definitely.” Yugi confirmed. “You have been so distracting for so long.”

“Mmm… I vaguely recall you calling me a problem before…” Atem arched an expectant eyebrow.

“Ahhh, yeah.” Yugi bit his lip. “I'm sorry about that. I was just having a rough time coming to grips with how I feel about you.”

Atem nodded knowingly. “You were not the only one.”

“Well, I’m so glad we are on the same page.” Yugi said with a quick peck on Atem’s lips.

Before that peck became anything more, Atem broke away. He had made a promise last time and he was going to keep it. He got off the bed to a small sound of protest, turning to offer his hand out to Yugi.

“It’s my turn to take care of you, _aibou._ ” He murmured, pulling his love into his arms.

“And how are you going to do that?”

“Follow me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter... I wonder what Kaiba's up to?
> 
> My [Tumblr.](https://atems-leather-pants.tumblr.com/) Come say hi!


	14. Little green men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boards, breakfast, and bliss

Four months later, Atem found himself standing outside the Cyber Crimes division of the FBI once again. As he stared at the frosted glass doors that led into the department where he had worked for several years, he felt a brief flutter of excitement. With the closure of the Millennium Killer case, Atem was once again set with a feather in his cap. A feather that opened many doors that lead towards promotion, future success and getting his life back on track. After completing his mandated assignment in the Department of Unexplained Cases, Atem was provided with a choice by the board: resume his old position in Cyber Crimes under a different Associate Director or stay in his current position. He felt he made the right choice.

He adjusted the strap of his leather messenger bag and straightened his tie. It was time to reap the rewards of his hard work.

“You weren’t going to go in there without me, were you?”

Atem’s smile widened as he turned, eyes gleaming upon seeing Yugi’s characteristic hair pop into view from around the corner.

“Of course not, but you _are_ late. I thought you were about to stand me up.” Atem said glibly.

“You are lucky you’re cute, or else this insubordination would not fly.” Yugi responded in kind as he reached Atem’s side.

“Insubordination? I believe we are now at the same rank.”

Yugi waved him off. “But we both know whose _really_ in charge.”

Atem shook his head incredulously as Yugi turned towards the door, his features sobering. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Atem? This is not going to be easy.”

Atem nodded. Yugi was right, but he was determined to see this through. Something needed to be done, and with Yugi by his side, he felt like he could accomplish anything. Be anything. It was a dangerous but exhilarating feeling that he never wanted to get used to.

“Alright _aibou,_ let’s go.”

Yugi sighed softly. “What did I say about pet names at work?”

Atem winked and pushed the door open. Walking side by side, Atem and Yugi crossed through the bullpen towards their destination.

“Is that…”

“What are they doing out of the dungeon?”

“Does he have a death wish coming back here?”

“Do you think he’s going to talk to Kaiba?”

“Oh, I’ve got to see this!”

Atem and Yugi continued making their way through the gridwork of desks until they stood outside Associate Director Kaiba’s corner office. Without a second thought, Atem knocked on the frosted glass door.

“I said no interruptions!” The muffled snap did nothing to deter Atem. He walked right into the office without further hesitation.

Seto Kaiba’s office was meticulous and almost clinical in its design. The glass desktop was bare except for a solitary laptop placed precisely in its center. From behind that laptop, blue eyes looked up, annoyance quickly becoming abhorrence upon seeing who was standing in his office.

“Agent Sennen, you have some real balls coming back here.” Kaiba growled.

“Seto, I have something –”

“It’s Assistant Director to you.” Kaiba chided. “Oh, and I see you needed to bring back up? How cute. You probably should have found someone a little more intimidating than that pipsqueak you call a partner.”

“Sir, with all due respect, shut up.” Yugi said evenly from the doorway.

“What did that runt say to me?!” Kaiba’s eyes flashed over to Yugi, who simply shrugged his shoulders as he shot a sly smile at the Assistant Director.

Before Kaiba said anything more, Atem offered up a document. “I am here to deliver this. You are required to attend a disciplinary hearing. You should be receiving an email within the next few minutes outlining the procedures.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The disciplinary board has caught wind of how you operate and wants to have a word with you.” Atem said with a ghost of a smile.

Kaiba snatched the papers out of Atem’s hand roughly, regarding them at arms length as if he had been handed a bag of sick. Not two seconds later, a chime sounded from Kaiba’s laptop. The email had arrived.

Atem watched on with immense satisfaction as Kaiba alternated between reading the papers in his hand and the email with increasing confusion and anger. Once Atem had his fill of seeing the man he once worked under unravel before his eyes, he finally spoke the same words he once thought spelled the end for him.

“See you on your last day tomorrow.”

Atem turned and walked towards the door.

“Wait… WAIT!” Kaiba barked at Atem’s retreating back. “This… this won’t work, you know! It’s your word against mine! They will believe me, and when I tell them that you tried to seduce me to get a promotion, anything you say will be rendered useless!”

“We both know that is not true.” Atem said softly as he turned around, his deep voice barely registering above a whisper. “And even if it were to come to that, might I suggest you read the list of other agents who have also added their own complaints regarding your conduct? This is no longer just between you and me.”

Kaiba’s face betrayed his first signs of terror as he flipped to find the additional complaints Atem had compiled. It did not take too much digging to find out that several other agents had been moved or let go from the Cyber Crimes division while under Kaiba’s command. Many of these agents felt like they had been run out or bullied into stepping down from their positions. Although a few of them took some convincing, most decided to help Atem with his efforts. That being, retribution for Kaiba’s misconduct.

As he watched the prolific Seto Kaiba start to shake before his eyes like a rat caught in a trap, Atem knew that he had finally come full circle. He may never have to worry about Kaiba coming after his badge again. He may never be hurt by Kaiba ever again. He may be able to finally, and fully, move on.

“Sennen… Atem, can we work something out…”

“You never gave me the chance to, so why should I give you that courtesy?” Atem’s eyes narrowed as his fury started to build. “Your problem was never with my work. It was with _me_ , and if –”

A hand on his arm stopped the stream of regrettable words threatening to burst their banks. He inhaled quietly. _Yugi is right, there’s no point wasting my breath on this._

Swallowing the bitter words rolling on his tongue, Atem turned on his heel and made his way through the door. Just as it swung to close, Kaiba felt compelled to get one last word in.

“You won’t win this!”

Atem knew he already had.

* * *

“Assistant Director Kaiba, it’s not every day that we get such a large group of complainants show up personally to a disciplinary hearing. These accusations that have been brought against you are damning to say the least. Now is the time, if you so desire, to respond to any of these allegations that have been brought against you.”

Atem looked across the table at the Assistant Director. Over the course of the hearing, Atem watched as Kaiba grappled and fought with the reality he was so desperately trying to avoid. As each agent stood up and said their piece, Kaiba’s arrogance started to crumble and the inferno of his rage burned down to embers. By the afternoon, Atem had seen enough. Even though Kaiba had put him through hell in more ways than one, Atem still did not wish to see him decimated. Hopefully once all was said and done, Kaiba would reflect on just what sort of leader and person he wanted to be. However, Atem knew that this was unlikely to ever happen. The man’s pride would likely continue to be his downfall.

The slender fingers of Kaiba’s hands wrung against each other as he sat in quiet contemplation for a moment before finally speaking. “I did what is best for the team. If the agents under my guidance were not fit for their roles, I would make the necessary changes. If these agents were so fragile, they should have never joined the FBI in the first place. There is no room for sniveling sycophants in my department.”

“Do you not see how such an attitude could be counterproductive for the success of the team? By creating a hostile environment where any word against your own is regarded as blatant dissent, you have created a rift between you and the people you lead.” Board member number five challenged.

Kaiba snorted in response, his answer clear despite his lack of words.

“You should really take this more seriously, AD Kaiba. This is your work, your livelihood, at stake.”

“Would you really fire someone for trying to make his team the most efficient and disciplined it can be?” Kaiba scoffed.

“If it was to the detriment of everyone else involved, then yes.” Board member number three snapped, his gaze icy. “We are unimpressed by your attitude, AD Kaiba, and suffice to say that the Director is displeased as well.”

Kaiba’s hubris crumbled before his eyes. The man stilled, his face starting to pale. “You wouldn’t bring the Director into this…”

“He is already aware of our hearing today and has been made aware of the multitudes brought up against your performance. He wished to attend, but there were more pressing matters on his agenda. He has given us free reign to enact any repercussions we see fit.”

With that final, ominous statement, the eyes of board member number three moved to rest on Atem. He stared back into those slate grey eyes, the very ones that once delivered what he thought was the final nail in his coffin. It was strange being on this side of the powerful man’s gaze, but even stranger was the imploring look directed right at him. The man was staring as if to ask for Atem’s blessing for what he was about to do.

Atem had to admit that part of him wanted to see Kaiba fired. An eye for an eye. He wanted to see him suffer for all of the hell he had put so many agents through. For what he put him through. At the same time, Atem knew that this would be merely a short lived victory. If he was fired, nothing would ever change. Kaiba would remain the way he was today: arrogant, cutthroat, and ruthless in his endeavours, with no regard to whom he stepped on during his ascent to the top. In a way, Atem could understand where Kaiba was coming from. He too had once been that way. In a similar fashion, he was consumed by his work, chasing that same nebulous and ultimately hollow goal like Kaiba was. His drive and pride almost caused him to miss out on something undeniably important.

Life.

That first day he stepped into the Department of Unexplained Cases, he would have never guessed the impact that this one demotion would make. In the last year, he had helped solve a decade long cold case, bringing much needed justice to the victims and closure to their loved ones. He worked on numerous other cases that opened his eyes and his mind to see the world in a new way. He had seen things, experienced things and… done things he never would have thought possible. From this experience, he had emerged forever changed. A better version of himself, and for that he owed it all to Yugi.

Glancing briefly to his side, he found familiar amethyst eyes. They met his with a quiet kindness he loved. The agent next to him had become his partner in the truest sense of the word, and through his enthusiasm, kindness and love, Atem had found himself.

His gaze met the boards’ again. Before this meeting had started, Atem had taken a moment to speak with them. He felt strongly that Kaiba should be a given the second chance he had been given. A chance to grow. To become better. The board thankfully shared his sentiment.

“The Director has given us the power to fire you outright should we deem this the appropriate response to your conduct. However, seeing as a change in environment seemed to do a world of good for Agent Sennen, we have decided to demote you to Special Agent.”

Kaiba’s breath rasped through his clenched teeth.

“Given your past experience working at your older brother Noah’s business in your teens –”

“ _Step_ -brother.” Kaiba muttered.

“ _—we_ think that your expertise in technology would be best utilized in the Special Technologies and Applications Office.”

Murmurs grew around the table as the participants of the meeting started discussing this turn of events. Some looked pleased, others indignant. The chatter did not last long, though. A dull smack of hands against hardwood silenced the room. All eyes snapped to Kaiba as he stood up, incensed and ready to fight.

“You cannot do –”

“We can and we will. You will speak to your superiors with respect, _Special Agent_ Kaiba.” The third board member spoke, his voice commanding and pitiless.

Kaiba stilled. After a moment, his defiance died and he responded quietly. “Sir.”

“Good man.” The fifth board member grinned wolfishly. “You will be suspended for the remainder of the week without pay. You start in your new position Monday morning. This meeting is adjourned.”

The tension in the room broke. The rustle of papers and the scuffle of chairs across the floor filled the room. As the room cleared, the once Assistant Director remained on his feet, palms flat against the table, still staring at the board who were packing up to leave. Atem paused his packing. He knew that look and had once felt that same despair and grief.

“Hey, you ok?” Yugi asked quietly, following Atem’s gaze to Kaiba.

“Yes.”

“You did the right thing, you know?”

Atem turned to smile at Yugi. “I certainly did.”

Yugi grinned back. “Ok, let’s get out of here before agent hothead over there finds his words again.”

Atem nodded in agreement and turned towards the door. He could not help but catch one last glimpse of Kaiba as he walked towards the doorway. Kaiba’s icy blue stare was now trained directly on him, a brief look of disbelief flashing across those irises as they met. Wordlessly, Atem reached out to place a hand on gently on Yugi’s back, a little too low to be truly professional, prompting his partner through the doorway.

The look that Kaiba shot him could have been used as key evidence in a murder trial.

* * *

After a brief fumble against a darkened wall, Atem finally found the switch. A solitary overhead light flickered to life and the shadow realm, or rather, the small office of the Department of Unexplained Cases was cast in a weak fluorescent glow. Three desks in various states of disarray again met his eye. An empty one by the door, his neatly organized desk in the middle, and Yugi’s sitting in orchestrated chaos next to the back wall. A quick glance over at the far desk found it empty. With a shake of his head, Atem tossed his bag beside his desk for what felt like the thousandth time and turned on his laptop.

When Atem and Yugi had decided at the end of the Millennium Killings investigation that they were going to be together, Atem thought this would have spelled the end of their partnership. Surprisingly, when they went to HR to discuss the matter, the counsellor said that this would not be the first or last time that partners had become close in this way. Although they were told that is was certainly not advised, they were not forcibly reassigned to different divisions either. She ended up making them sign their lives away, but they were ultimately allowed to continue with their work partnership. After a long discussion about what would be best, both agents decided that they wanted to still try to work together. They agreed if things got to be too much, then they would revisit this later.

Four months had gone by, and to their delight, they had found their balance and were better than ever.

“Good morning!” called a voice from the doorway.

“Good morning, Yugi.” Atem returned with a smile. “I got you breakfast on the way in.”

“Mmmm… you’re the best!” Yugi grabbed the brown paper bag and coffee cup out of Atem’s hand before sitting down at his desk to devour his spoils. Atem watched on fondly as Yugi took a hearty bite of his breakfast sandwich before eventually turning his attention back to his laptop. An all too cheery ding alerted Atem to the onslaught of emails that had accumulated over the weekend. The law never rests, unfortunately. However, something interesting was nestled amongst the sea of administrative emails made out to the now Supervisory Special Agent Atem Sennen.

“You may want to see this.” Atem alerted his partner, his words barely perceptible above the rustle of paper bags and food wrappings.

Yugi hummed a wordless inquiry as he came to peer over Atem’s shoulder.

Sheriff Tea Gardner had sent an email updating the agents on the Millennium Killer trial, which was going as expected. Despite her confession, Ishizu’s new lawyer put forth a mental disorder defence plea, and after a rigorous psychiatric assessment, Ishizu was found unfit to stand trial. Instead of jail, she would be receiving the help she needs in a forensic psychiatry facility. Although disappointing in a way, Atem still felt some satisfaction. At least the public was safe and she was getting help. Everyone involved could rest, their closure finally in hand.

This was not the reason why the email was interesting, though. Often when a cold case is closed, there was some media attention. The Millennium Killer trial was not exempt from this. However, the added elements of serial killings and mysterious circumstances stoked the media into a frenzy. News outlets far and wide wanted to report on the strange tale of the North Carolina backwoods killings orchestrated around plots to steal artifacts from wealthy gaming industry tycoons. In the wake of the media attention, Maximillian Pegasus, seemingly on his own accord, decided to drop the charges against Mai Valentine citing a vague misunderstanding between him and the beloved bar owner. He then gave up his Millennium Eye to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. This was a surprising turn of events to say the least, but a part of Atem was happy to see that Mai did not have to pay for the misdeeds she was forced to commit.

As for the remaining items, they were returned back to the museum from where they were stolen and were in route to Egypt last he heard. As his eyes had been opened to the powers the Millennium Items held, he was now wary about the remaining items still in the hands of unknown strangers somewhere in the world. They sure seemed to place a toll on the mind.

Although Yugi was certain of his answer, to Atem it was still up for debate as to whether Ishizu’s mind was already fractured before her hunt for the Millennium Items or if the Items themselves drove her to madness. Although an interesting mystery, he decided not to dwell on this matter. No one may ever really know the answer.

“Well, it’s not surprising that the trial is going this way…” Yugi said, his brow knitting slightly.

“No, but it still must be difficult for you to hear.” Atem observed.

“A little. But at least she will be getting the help she needs.”

With a nod, Atem closed the email and Yugi left his side. With a small content sigh, he sunk further into his chair, taking a moment to sip his coffee and revel in the quiet morning they were slated to have. If he had been told a year ago that his own personal slice of heaven would be found in the basement of a government building working on strange and supernatural cases with his boyfriend, Atem would have laughed and never stopped. Even now, he was still surprised that this is where he ended up, but he would not trade it for the world. It was meant to be.

Atem’s bliss was short lived. The shrill ring of the phone on his partner’s desk brough him back to reality.

“Department of Unexplained Cases, Supervisory Special Agent Yugi Muto speaking. Oh, hello Associate Deputy Director.” 

Atem sat up straight in his chair.

“Yes…. Yes… Interesting. Of course. I understand. We will, sir. Thank you.”

As the phone hit its cradle, Atem arched an eyebrow at his partner. Yugi barely acknowledged him, and instead, he got up from his desk, muttering to himself under his breath.

“This case… where is that file?”

Atem’s curiosity was piqued. Was it a new case? Although looking at Yugi’s reaction, it seemed like he was already familiar with it. He waited patiently for his oddly subdued partner to finish rifling through the filing cabinet. Upon finding what he sought, Yugi would inevitably launch into a tale, part fact part postulation, and Atem would spend the better part of the next ten minutes trying to wrap his head around whatever tale Yugi told.

It was not long before a small shout of joy rang through the office.

“Speaking of cases, we have another one!” Yugi turned to face him, eyes finally sparkling with excitement. In his hand was a manila folder, proffered for Atem’s perusal.

“Another one? A serial killer?”

“Not really. Take a look.”

Within the folder was a series of case reports. Inserted between the pages of text were pictures of multiple people in hospital beds, tubes entering orifices and lines buried under skin. Atem quickly skimmed through the first report. Over the last year or so, multiple people from the DC area had mysteriously slipped into comas, never to wake again. Medical professionals were baffled. There was nothing they could find that would point towards the etiology of these comas. The strangest part was that all of their medical, imaging and electroencephalography tests indicated that they should be awake and well. Why were they not awake?

From what Atem could glean, the comatose were often found in alleyways, parking lots or lying in parks, with the people often being found only after they had succumbed. Further adding to the peculiarity, one witness described finding one of the comatose after checking out a flash of green light he saw in an alleyway one night.

“More patients have shown up, four in the last week.” Yugi relayed as he watched Atem read. “The police have not been able to solve this case, and the higher ups are worried that this may be some form of a targeted attack, or potentially even bioterrorism…”

“It’s all very strange.”

“It really is. I spent a little time looking into this case a while back, but it went cold just before you joined our department. Unfortunately, there is little to go off of. There were few connections between the comatose if I recall correctly. Also, there were these green shards of sorts found next to the third victim and all victim were found with three round welts on their forearms…”

Atem looked up from the file as he stifled a groan. “If you say ‘aliens’, I swear Yugi…”

Yugi devolved into a fit of laughter. “Oh, come on! Green light? Comas? The skin markings? You’ve got to be thinking it too!”

Atem’s gaze flitted from Yugi to the ‘I want to believe’ poster hanging on the wall behind Yugi’s desk. _Of course he’d think it’s aliens._

There was no way this would be aliens. There had to be a more realistic explanation, and while they sought it, Yugi would surely need his level head to stay on track.

“What do you say, Atem?” Yugi asked with a smile almost too fond for work.

“Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I dreamt up this story, I called it my pet project. I was convinced that this story would have an audience of just one person: myself. Really, who would want to read a puzzleship murder mystery ala the X-files in the year 2020 other than myself? But I have been so pleasantly surprised and delighted at the response and love I’ve received. You are all too kind. Thank you for coming on this wild journey with me!
> 
> If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Pine Bluff. Long or short. Sentences or keysmashes. Discussing my writing or my good-evil alignment. Good, bad, or otherwise, your comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Until next time,  
> -Pants/Bewdofchaos
> 
> [(Because I never back down from a challenge)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25120129)


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